Kingdom of Hell
by deliamic
Summary: Life on Mars can be Hell.


**Kingdom of Hell**

A Hellsing Crossover Fanfic

By deliamic

Rated M for violence, some language and minor sexual references.

**Chapter 1**

Seras Victoria licked her lips in anticipation as she greedily eyed the container in her hand. Tilting her head back, she drank eagerly, but took care not to spill even a drop. She had been holding onto her aching thirst for a while now and the touch of the cool water on her parched lips was absolutely delicious.

Finding it difficult to restrain her craving, a few moments passed before she finally lowered the canteen and replaced the cap. With a frown she considered the remaining contents. Her rapidly dwindling supply was very worrying, especially since she was using it at a much faster pace than anticipated. Not that it came as much of a surprise considering her surroundings.

She had been attempting to describe them from the very first moment her team arrived through Teleport Station 6. Simple words such "desolate" or "barren" could simply not convey a clear enough picture. A deep sense of wonder filled Seras after first emerging from the teleporter, but her awe was soon replaced by something much darker. The terrifying landscape that greeted them was dreadful to behold and contributed in no small way to the nervous tension she now experienced.

UB427 looked like a world on the verge of dying. It was a wasteland of rock, sand and dust. A great deal of geological activity was evident, ranging from fiery displays of erupting magma to colossal lakes of boiling tar. The terrain was littered with the debris of derelict broken down structures, some of them gigantic in size. It was unclear who had been responsible for either their construction or down fall. The whole place just seemed dead and lifeless.

As if the dangerous terrain was not enough, the unrelenting heat forced them to adopt a slower pace than originally planned. Progress was difficult right from the start, especially since they were also escorting civilians. Seras knew that none of the marines were properly equipped to deal with UB427's hazardous environment. She deduced as much within a few minutes of their arrival. Sighing in frustration, she wondered yet again what the guys in Intelligence were up to. The briefing back at Delta Labs failed dismally in preparing the teams for what awaited them.

There was something else too, something she could not clearly put her finger on. It was as if she was constantly being watched. At times she saw shadows move at the edge of her vision, only to find nothing when turning for a better look. These occurrences did little to ease her tense condition.

A loud voice suddenly interrupted her musings.

"Seras!"

Looking around, she noticed Jack motioning for her to catch up. He stood waiting alongside Cortez and Mainz further along the trail. After quickly stowing her canteen in one of her backpack's side pockets, she hurried over to them.

"Are you alright?" Jack asked. "We were getting worried that you might've walked off a cliff."

Despite his teasing tone Seras could see the worry etched on his handsome face. She was obviously not the only one on edge. Still, it was amazing how he could remain jovial at times like these.

"I wouldn't be surprised at that," Cortez said while wiping some sweat off his brow. "This place plays tricks on you. I half expect to turn around and find everyone gone."

His tone made it clear that he at least was not in a joking mood. Mainz simply nodded and continued scanning the area, his combat shotgun held at the ready.

"Sorry guys," Seras apologised, slightly flustered at the sudden attention. She eyed the others, noting that neither Cortez nor Mainz made any attempt to meet her gaze. Jack regarded her with a look of interest before he turned around and started walking along the dirt track.

"Best we get going before the Cap notices we're lagging," he said. "No need to stir up the hornet's nest."

The others needed no further prodding. Luckily, they were not too far behind and after a short jog they managed to catch up to the rest of the group. Seras gritted her teeth in anticipation of the reprimand they would surely receive, but surprisingly none was forthcoming. The Captain briefly glanced at each of them before returning his attention to the trail.

"Don't fall behind again," he said. "We can't afford to get lost."

The serious tone of his voice made it clear that there would be no further discussion regarding the subject. The four marines exchanged questioning glances before quickly falling back into formation.

"No sweat Cap," Jack casually replied. "Just securing the rear. Can't take any chances that something might be sneaking up on us."

"Good."

The Captain never was one to mince words, but since their arrival on UB427 he became even more guarded. However, Seras fully trusted his judgement. She had served under him in the Alpha labs and was therefore confident that damn good reason existed for his behaviour.

Alpha squad continued on its way, each of the seven team members deep in their own thoughts. The rocky terrain made progress difficult and they often slowed down in order to circumvent particularly hazardous terrain. Seras marvelled at how they were able to maintain their energetic pace given the tremendous heat. For some reason she did not feel tired in the least and it was obvious that the others were the same. When she asked Doctor Williamson about it, he could only answer that they were still investigating the phenomenon. UB427 guarded its secrets jealously.

"Take a look at that!" Jack suddenly yelled while pointing some distance away. Seras quickly brought her assault rifle to bear, but she could not identify and discernible threat close by. Instead, something in the red sky was approaching their location at great speed.

"Sam, the camera!" Doctor Williamson yelled out. Both he and Doctor Becker quickly raised their binoculars to get a better look. Sam, Doctor Becker's assistant, was just as speedily bringing his tricorder to bear.

"Everyone, take cover!" the Captain yelled. He grabbed a hold of Doctor Becker's arm and dragged him behind a rocky outcropping. "Jack and Mainz, see to Doctor Williamson and Sam!"

While the two marines moved to carry out their orders, Seras ducked behind a small boulder. The protection offered by the location was not the best, but at least she could watch the approaching mass with ease. She glanced at the rest of the team quickly to mark their positions, finding herself smiling slightly upon seeing Doctor Becker talking animatedly into his PDA.

The reason for his excitement readily became apparent. Soon Seras could identify many individual shapes making up the approaching mass. The creatures looked like huge flying whales flowing gracefully through the sky. Actually, as they came closer, Seras though that they looked more like the manta rays she once saw on television back on Earth. The beautiful motion created by the creatures as they dove through the air in a spiral formation made her gasp in delight.

Seras suddenly realized that the flying beasts were singing a song. On second thought, not quite a song, but more like an endless deluge of sound. It was as if a thousand voices were howling, laughing and crying at the same time, each almost discernible on their own, but all of them intertwined. The melody, if one could call it that, was haunting in a way Seras never experienced before. She suddenly felt very exposed behind the boulder she was crouching. Taking her eyes off the beasts for a moment, she quickly scanned the area for anything that might be creeping up from the rear.

"Looks like they're just passing over," Sam noted.

Indeed, the creatures continued overhead without so much as a glance at Alpha squad. Assuming they even have eyes that can see, Seras mused. Something about the creatures made her very uncomfortable. The sooner they were gone the better. When at last the flying beasts disappeared from view, everyone came out from their respective hiding places.

"We should keep an eye out," Doctor Williamson said. "If these animals are anything like the birds of Earth they might have nests around. I would like to have a sample if possible."

"I don't know about that, Doctor," Cortez piped up. "Seems to me like those weren't birds. I haven't heard anything like that before."

The Captain interrupted before Doctor Williamson could reply.

"Mainz, get on the comm and relay our status. Everyone else get ready to move out in two minutes."

While Mainz busied himself with his orders, the scientists went into a huddle to discuss their findings. Jack, Seras and Cortez stood to one side, opting to stay alert and scanning the surrounding terrain.

"So what do you make of that, huh?" Jack asked. The question was not really directed at anyone in particular, but Cortez replied anyway.

"They're not flying chickens, that for sure!" He did not seem in a playful mood, despite the comment. "Lieutenant, permission to be severely creeped out."

"Permission granted," Jack replied with a grin. "Still, I wonder if those things have nests. Nests mean eggs. Anyone up for a bit of my famous All-in-one omelette?"

"Come on Jack, do those things really look like they carry eggs?" Seras was definitely not in the mood for one of his "omelettes". She vividly remembered the last time he made it, and also the extensive amount of time she spent in the bathroom afterwards. "They give me the chills. There's definitely something unnatural about them."

But Jack was not one to be dissuaded easily. "Oh ye of little faith. Cortez, help me keep an eye out. I'm certain I can make something good." He was clearly in a teasing mood. "This time for sure."

He seemed to enjoy seeing Seras squirm under his gaze. Her unfortunate experience with Jack's previous attempt at creating a culinary masterpiece quickly became common knowledge to many, much to her dismay. Cortez's stifled chuckles only helped to deepen the red in her rose coloured cheeks.

However, Jack's smile did help to lift Seras' spirits a little, and even the Captain, who was listening in on their conversation, seemed to nod in agreement. Their commlinks suddenly activated and a barely recognisable voice was heard.

"Tango confirms green. All teams confirm, over."

Seras recognised the voice of Jonathan Apple, Security Chief of Tango Squad. His team was located back at base camp and was responsible for monitoring the status of the different research teams.

"Alpha confirms green. All present and accounted for, over," Mainz responded. Not for the first time did Seras wonder why the quiet man had been made the communications officer. Her train of thought was interrupted as the other teams sounded off their confirmations.

"Bravo squad confirms green. Everyone's accounted for, over."

"Charlie squad confirms green. Everyone present and accounted for, over."

"Delta squad confirms green. We're all here. Doctor Shimanto seems to have sprained his ankle. We've taken up position at way mark 34, over."

"Can you confirm his status please, over?" came Tango's response.

"Tom is checking him now. Ah, he says it's only a minor sprain. We should be ready to resume in ten minutes, over."

"Keep us posted. Tango over and out."

Mainz jogged forward, intent on updating the Captain on the situation. They were so similar in some ways, Seras thought; it was a wonder that Mainz even hung out with the three of them. But that he was a good man she did not doubt for a second.

"You know, I've been pondering something for a while now," Cortez said.

"Are you pondering what I'm pondering, my good man?" Jack responded, a twinkle in his eye.

"Probably. Calling Sam a git is such a … uh … understatement, agreed? There should be a special term reserved for people like him."

"Hmm, I suppose so."

Jack scratched his ahead, apparently deep in thought.

"But, isn't 'preen juice boy' already taken?"

Seras barely restrained her giggle in time. Cortez was not so fortunate; his laughter quickly died away after a glance from the Captain. Mainz rejoined them shortly thereafter.

"Alright, move out!" the Captain ordered. He motioned for the science team to resume the journey. Everyone quickly fell back into position as Alpha squad resumed its journey over the treacherous rocky terrain.

Jack's expression turned serious. Seras could easily guess what he was thinking about.

"We have to properly thank ol' Sammy for his little stunt back in Delta, don't you agree?"

The other two men nodded in agreement. Seras fidgeted at the sudden silence between them. Her team members were understandably protective of her, but sometimes it seemed to border on obsession. The event Jack was referring to occurred just before Alpha squad's departure through Delta Labs Teleport Station 3. Sam "accidentally" brushed his hand over her posterior. He apologised, but the lack of sincerity in his voice was obvious.

Seras would normally have reacted harshly to such an event, but the presence of Doctor Betruger prevented her from following through. At the time she decided to simply push the incident from her mind. It was certainly not the first such occurrence since her transfer to the Mars facility.

"Guys, I appreciate the thought, but I can handle it on my own," Seras said quietly. She did not want them to think of her as weak. Long ago she made a decision to make sure that never happened, whatever it took.

"No worries, Seras."

Jack momentarily placed his hand on her shoulder.

"We were simply devising a program for attitude enhancement involving yonder egghead. I don't know about the others, but I would never dare to intrude on a private ass-kicking session, should you have something like that in mind."

"Unless specifically invited," Cortez added with a chuckle.

"I'll bring the beer." Mainz was not going to be left out.

Seras grinned at their good-natured jibes. There was little chance of her ever "violently beating someone's ass", as Cortez once referred to it. Sam was a perverted fool and deserved what he got, but she was not going to draw attention to herself that way. Heaven knows she already had enough to deal with.

"Thanks guys."

They were very good at lifting her spirits. It was something Seras appreciated a lot, especially since she began to suffer from frequent bouts of depression soon after joining the Mars facility. She was still unsure about the cause of her gloom; perhaps it had something to do with being one of the very few women on Mars and the only female in the security forces. Naturally, this status gave her a lot of unwanted attention.

"Uh, don't look now, but the Cap is looking over here with flaming eyes," Cortez suddenly said. "Best we fall into position before he decides to become violent."

He quickened his step to catch up to Doctor Becker before assuming his position at the right flank of the group.

"Talk to you guys later. Oh, and try no to fall behind again, won't you?"

After giving her a playful wink, Jack proceeded to take his place on the left flank, while Mainz moved up to the Captain to provide communications support. Seras remained as rearguard. Their conversation helped to momentarily alleviate her tension, but the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach was quickly returning. She grasped her assault rifle firmly in both hands, rebuking herself slightly for not paying better attention to her surroundings.

Not that there was much to pay attention to. The open expanse surrounding Alpha squad was littered with small boulders and scattered debris, however, very little of it could provide any actual cover. She would have to be blind not to see anything approaching. The closest structure of any significance was a small mountain range, but even it was still some ways off.

Seras had no idea where exactly they were headed. Doctor Becker and the Captain were the only ones present at the tactical meeting held by Doctor Betruger. Grunts like her were told only the bare minimum. It was clear that the Captain was not going to be very forthcoming with more information. The whole thing stunk to high heaven in her opinion, and Seras knew that she was not the only one who though so. Jack and Cortez were a lot more vocal when it came to expressing their dissatisfaction, and from the way they carried on after the briefing it was clear that things were not according to their tastes. Mainz was more of a traditional soldier; her followed his orders and asked no questions. But even he expressed his worries, if in a somewhat more subdued manner. One thing was for certain: this assignment was going to be a lot more interesting that patrolling a bunch of deserted corridors back in Alpha Labs.

Events so far were very dull, however, and Seras was starting to wonder if perhaps they were not reading too much from the rumours that circulated Delta Labs. Sure, that there had been some accidents were undeniable, but were they really as severe as some of the other marines let on? It was true that very little information was allowed outside the Delta Labs isolation ward; however, besides the "bird" swarm, UB427 so far proved to be little more than a boring trek over an empty wasteland.

UB427. The official name for this newly discovered realm. She heard that some official or other in the Delta Labs came up with it, but she remained completely in the dark as to its meaning. Heck, they were not even sure what it was, but continued to explore it regardless. Was it some planet, hidden billions of kilometres away from Mars, deep within the cosmos? Or perhaps it was an alternate dimension rich in mineral resources and ready for the taking? That seemed to be the idea of Doctor Betruger and his advisors, or so she heard along the grapevine. A lot of capital was invested in this project, and Seras knew that hell would freeze over before the UAC withdrew without turning some sort of profit.

Up ahead, the Captain suddenly came to a halt.

"We've reached the way mark where the previous expedition turned around," he said while pointing to a metallic rod buried in the ground. It was one of the standard way markers used by the UAC on all exploration missions. "We'll be taking a five minute break while the Doctor and I check the log."

He was referring to the small electronic transmitter attached to the flagpole. Using them proved to be quite difficult on UB427. A number of unanticipated problems arose during their initial deployment. During the mission briefing Doctor Becker mentioned that they should expect some interference with their electronics, but from what Seras heard it looked like simple interference was the least of their worries. After the briefing Cortez mentioned that he previously heard about an earlier expedition that found all their way markers ripped to pieces and scattered about the landscape. Seras also heard stories about all kinds of equipment that mysteriously disappeared, even when left unattended for just a moment. Needless to say, she was a bit surprised to actually lay her eyes on an intact marker so far out from base camp.

Seras was starting to get very thirsty again, but decided to save her precious supply for later. Instead, she made her way over to Jack and Cortez who were already deep in discussion. Mainz proceeded to update Tango Squad on the situation.

"This red sky is hell on my eyes, man," Cortez said as Seras approached them. "You'd think they'd at least issue us with appropriate eyewear or something."

"I hear ya," Jack replied. "Maybe someone already reported it? Remind to check when we get back, will you?"

The topic reminded Seras of a question she though of earlier.

"Hey, did you hear what happened to the last expedition?" she asked. Some nasty rumours were circulating among the Delta Labs staff and she was hoping the others could shed some light on the matter.

Cortez was the one to answer. "Oh yeah, totally fubar as far as I can tell. Some really crazy shit. I heard that only two made it back with all their limbs attached. They carted Jenner off on a trolley, and some of the nurses told me he was ranting delusions about monsters and demons the whole time. Last I heard all the survivors were being held in Delta isolation."

A shiver ran down Seras' spine. She could not remember ever hearing about an expedition that did not end up without casualties. The latest news was quite unsettling, especially since she knew some of the guys who went through the teleport. All of them were superbly trained and possessed a great deal of experience with these types of missions. Another thing that worried her was the fact that all the surviving members were supposedly being kept in isolation. Was there some kind of reason why Doctor Betruger would not allow uninjured participants to resume their normal duties?

"Makes you wonder, hmm? About what happened to those people." Jack looked thoughtful, as if considering the possibilities. "I mean, I don't know about you guys, but I've seen nothing but rocks, stone and dust since we came here. Are we missing something? Or is something missing us?"

For a moment all of them were caught up in their own thoughts, each considering Jack's last words. It was undeniable that there was something dangerous on UB427, but so far no trace of it could be found. Seras wondered for the thousandth time if perhaps she was not being too paranoid. Sighing, she decided to drop the matter for now. Attempting to find spooks in every corner would serve only to impede her combat readiness.

A yell from the Captain drew them out of their musings.

"Alright people, we're moving out!"

Seras spotted Doctor Becker quickly stowing away the topographical map that outlined their intended route. Since it was not uncommon for electrical equipment to fail on UB427, the brass remained reluctant to rely on it too heavily. She once heard some of the engineers talking about similar occurrences in Mars City. Hopefully it was not spreading, but Seras knew better than to get her hopes up.

"As you all know, the route from here onwards is uncharted," the Captain continued. "Keep your eyes and ears open at all times. Our objective is to advance a further ten kilometres before circling around to meet up with Bravo Squad."

The Captain glanced at each of them in turn.

"Don't let your guard down even for a moment. Mainz, any word from Bravo yet?"

"Chief Rickert said they just passed their own outer way mark. We should be able to meet them on schedule."

"Let's go then."

**Chapter 2**

The further they travelled, the more the landscape changed. Rocky hills and gigantic boulders replaced the open terrain, and the members of Alpha Squad unexpectedly found themselves surrounded on all sides by deep chasms and steep cliffs. Seras was left slightly dumbfounded at the sudden change. One moment they were walking over the crest of a narrow ridge, the next they were surrounded on all sides by a maze made out of rock and dust.

The Captain continued to lead the way, closely followed by Doctor Becker and Doctor Williamson. The rough terrain presented a new challenge to the scientists and they were loudly discussing on how best to keep track of the squad's progress. The Captain was ignoring them for the moment. Every few metres he would leave a mark against the rock face using a marker pen meant for just such a situation. Jack, Mainz and Cortez paid the scientists no mind, instead choosing to focus on their surroundings. Realizing that she should be doing the same, Seras decided to leave the researchers to their own devices so that she could stay alert for any potential ambushes.

Taking a deep breath while wiping the sweat from her brow, Seras quickly cast a glance behind her to make sure that nothing was sneaking up on them. However, as she took a step forward the ground beneath her suddenly gave way, making her cry out in surprise.

"Aaaaah!"

Seras cried out as she painfully landed on her elbows, her shoulder blades straining against the combined weight of herself and her baggage. Fortunately, the hole was not yet wide enough for her to completely fall through; otherwise the weight of her backpack would have dragged her down completely.

"Help! Somebody!" she managed to shout while attempting to grab onto something she could use to drag herself out. The rest of the squad whirled around at her cries. Jack and Cortez were the quickest to react and rushed over to her immediately. However, they were almost upon her when a deep tremor ran through the earth, causing the hole to open wider. The tremor did not last very long, but a number of large cracks suddenly appeared in the ground surrounding the hole.

Seras struggled to find a decent handhold. She desperately tried to claw her way out, but the soft earth surrounding the gap offered little assistance. Instead, her efforts were only rewarded with more rock and sand breaking off the edge of the hole, opening it even wider.

"Stay back Jack!" she screamed. "Getting closer will only make the hole bigger!"

Jack also noticed the dangerous state of the gap. Grabbing a hold of Cortez's jacket, he quickly dragged the both of them backwards in an attempt to avoid unsettling the ground even further.

"Everyone, get the hell back!" he cried. "Sammy, the rope, quickly man!"

Meanwhile, Seras managed to grab onto one of the cracks in the ground and was holding on for dear life. Her backpack and weapon was almost on the verge of dragging her down into the blackness of the hole, but Seras refused to give way. Coughing painfully due to the dust she inhaled, Seras tried to get rid of her backpack, but found that she could not move without causing even more of the rock face to break off. She opted to be still for a moment in the hopes that the men would have come up with a plan.

Having given one end of the rope to the other guys to hold onto, Jack tossed the other end to Seras.

"Grab a hold Seras! We're going to pull you out!"

Seras sighed with relief as she felt the rope hit one of her hands. She immediately took hold of it, but the sudden shift in weight caused a huge piece of rock to break off. The unexpected loss of support caught Seras by surprise and her sweaty palms lost their hold on rope.

"Nooooo!" she cried while falling into the blackness of the fissure. Waving her arms about wildly, she managed to snag onto the end of the rope with her right hand. Her arm strained painfully against her weight. With a monumental effort she quickly grabbed onto the rope with her left hand as well.

"Pull me up!" she croaked through the dense cloud of sand and dust that assaulted her. Her cry must have been heard because a moment later the rope was steadily being pulled upwards. Seras had not realized she had fallen so deeply into the hole. She was still some ways from the top and the guys were being careful not to open the hole up further. The opening was growing steadily wider and there was always the danger that it might reach them before they could get her out.

Just as she was about to reach the top, Seras felt something touch her left leg. Alarmed, she quickly looked down into the hole, but her sight was too heavily obscured by tears and dust to see anything. She was about to put it down to her imagination when something large suddenly grabbed onto her left leg and started pulling her down. Seras panicked.

"I'm not alone down here!" she screamed. "Pull me out already!"

She desperately kicked her leg out with the hope of dislodging whatever was clinging onto it, but without success. The grip was becoming almost painful, and she was slowly being dragged further into the hole. Seras was close to losing her grip on the rope as well.

"Hang on Seras, as tight as you can!" she heard the Captain cry. "Everyone, heave!"

Ignoring the pain in her hands and arms, Seras took hold of the rope with renewed determination just before she was violently dragged upwards. She paid the crumbling rock walls no mind; she would put up with anything as long as she got out of the hole.

Just before she was roughly pulled over the edge of the hole the grip on her leg fell away. Taking one last look down into the gaping darkness below her, Seras shrieked with fright. Staring up at her from the depths where hundreds of dark red eyes, their yellow pupils starting at her hungrily. The view was suddenly snatched away as Seras was finally hauled over the edge. Jack and the rest did not stop until she was lying at their feet.

The Captain was at her side in an instant. He quickly moved her backpack and assault rifle to one side.

"Seras, are you alright? Are you injured?"

She held up her bloody hands while the Captain and Doctor Becker gave her a once over.

"Looks like the rope cut her pretty badly," Doctor Becker said while carefully examining her hands.

"Sammy, bring the med kit, quickly man!" Doctor Williamson said as he also knelt down beside her and gently took hold of her hands. After looking them over he sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness, it looks worse than it really is. Young lady, you should be fine once we wash and bandage these."

Doctor Williamson took the med kit offered by Sam and tended to her hands. Meanwhile, the Captain and Doctor Becker finished their scrutiny and were satisfied that she suffered from no other lasting injury.

"Damn, that was close!" Cortez said. "Almost thought we lost you there, Seras."

Jack and Mainz remained silent while her wounds were dressed. Seras suddenly felt very vulnerable under the gaze of the men. Silently cursing her own weakness, she stood up and brushed some of the dust off her uniform.

"Thanks, Doctor, but I should be fine now."

It was stupid to think so, especially given the circumstances, but she could not help but hate the thought of the others treating her differently just because she was acting the part of a woman in need. Being one of the few females amongst a bunch of males made Seras realize early on that men on the Mars base tended to be a lot more chauvinistic than back on Earth, even going so far as to treat her very presence as a commodity. She needed to be strong at all times in order to even stand a chance of showing up on the radar as something more than a sexy doll. Hell, it was no easy task getting assigned to Mars in the first place, and she would be damned if she wasn't going to prove herself capable of it. She particularly relied on the respect of men like the Captain, Jack, Mainz and Cortez, and only rarely showed any weakness in front of them.

"It's a good thing I didn't lose my gear," she tried to change the topic. "The going would have been tough without it." After making sure her backpack and weapon remained in one piece, she took a drink of water from her canteen to ease the soreness in her throat a little. Her hands hurt a bit, but as Doctor Williamson said the injury was not very severe.

After scrutinizing her for a moment the Captain simply shook his head a little and sighed.

"We'd best tread carefully from here on in," he said while examining at the trail ahead. "Seras, as soon as you're rested we'll move out. Mainz, report to Tango on our current situation."

Jack moved closer to hole in order to get a better view.

"Well, we're not going back this way," he said. "Damn route's completely blocked, and I see only one way forward." He looked deep in thought for a second, and then turned to Seras with a questioning look in his eyes.

"You mentioned that something was down there. Any idea what it was?"

Seras recalled the helpless feeling of being drawn back into the pit. The eyes staring at her were still quite vivid in her mind, but she was starting to doubt whether it truly happened. Maybe it was just the product of her panicked imagination? Regardless, she did not want to share the experience for fear that Jack might tease her about it.

"No idea, it disappeared as soon as you guys pulled me out of the pit. I couldn't see a thing."

Jacked nodded, looking back at the hole.

"The ground here seems very unstable," he said, his tone completely serious. "Like the Cap said, we'd best watch each other's asses." A smile formed on his lips as he turned his gaze back to her. "I volunteer to watch yours."

"Jack!" Seras yelled in embarrassment, her cheeks suddenly feeling very hot.

"Uh, spare me," Cortez said while he and Mainz rolled their eyes. The sound of Sam's snigger served only to deepen the colour of Seras' rosy cheeks.

"Ah, to be young again," Doctor Becker laughed. Doctor Williamson, much to Seras' chagrin, quickly joined him.

"Doctor!" she complained. "Please stop!"

Doctor Becker resumed his normal gentle countenance. "I'm sorry my dear, but you must let this old man have at least some fun," he said with a twinkle in his eye. "But I think we should be off now. Bravo is probably waiting for us already."

The Captain nodded his agreement. "Make sure your gear is secured. We're moving out."

***

Their dreary surroundings showed little sign of changing as the team moved further into the rocky maze. There was very little by way of landmarks or features, and more than once Seras found herself a bit disorientated. They often found themselves at a dead-end or having gone in a circle. Fortunately, the Captain made sure to mark their progress clearly on the surrounding stone walls, which was probably the only thing keeping them from becoming completely lost.

The commlinks also did not function properly within the twisting corridors. Doctor Becker speculated that they were inside an area where the rock held some special properties, but without proper testing he could not say for certain. Just in case, he chipped off a small sample for later study. To be honest, Seras did not give a cahoot whether the rocks were interfering with the signals or whether it was faeries; to be cut off from calling for aid left her feeling vulnerable, and she did not like the feeling one bit.

The Captain assigned Mainz as the point man since he was the most experience with field reconnaissance. The recent incident remained fresh on everyone's minds, keeping them on their toes and making sure that those in the front watched their steps. Still, despite the setbacks they made decent progress. The science team did not seem discouraged in the slightest; indeed, the recent events served only to increase their interest. The two doctors constantly flitted about the environment as if on the trail of some illusive sample. Sam did not follow far behind, carefully keeping notes on his PDA and filming with his tricorder.

Of course, this state of affairs only made the marines' job more difficult, but such was their lot in life. The Captain opted to remain close to the scientists. Jack, Cortez and Seras stayed close together in case they encountered further hostilities. They also made sure to keep a close eye on Mainz. He often bobbed in and out of view around the many bends in the twisted corridors, but he seemed at ease.

After travelling for about an hour they reached a small open area and the Captain chose to call a halt so that they could check their route.

"Alright everyone, we'll take a short break here. Cortez, you and I will scale that rock face over there," he said, pointing to one side. "We'll see if we can spot any major landmarks."

He and Cortez proceeded to take off their backpacks, leaving only their weapons slung over their shoulders. The Captain also placed the map in one of his pockets before beginning his climb. Fortunately, there were plenty of handholds in the rock face and they were able to proceed without too much hassle. The others used the chance to rest and drink a bit of water.

"Damn, this heat is killing me!" Jack complained. "I would just about murder for a water stream or something right now."

Mainz grunted in agreement while wiping some sweat of his face. Looking around, Seras noted the dirt and grime on almost everyone, except the two doctors. How the heck they managed to stay relatively clean in this environment was beyond her.

"Yes, Jack, you certainly could use a bath," Seras joked.

"Hmm, perhaps you need to take a look in the mirror, honey," Jack replied good-naturedly. "You're not exactly looking like a princess yourself."

There was no point arguing with that since Seras knew that she probably looked the worst of the lot.

"What I wouldn't give for a long, hot shower right now," she groaned. "I feel like all the sand and dust has decided to concentrate in only one place, me." Seras used her handkerchief to try and wipe some of the grime from her face, but succeeded only in dirtying the handkerchief. "Remind me to request fans as standard issue when we get back to base."

"I'll second that," Jack responded. "I'd rather face the jungles and deserts of Earth than this. The idiots at command should have warned us about this more clearly."

Jack sighed wearily.

"And this place is not getting any better," he continued. "It has only gotten worse since we cam here."

Seras nodded silently, an uncomfortable silence arising between them. Surprisingly, Mainz was the one to break it.

"Remember, we have seen the danger in this place. Expect it to get much worse."

Mainz smiled at them grimly. It was rare for him to show worry, but she knew that he was right. They could expect a hard trek in front of them. The Captain would never even consider turning around, and she was not about to suggest doing so. But something else continued to puzzle her. The science team did not complain even once, heck, Doctor Becker – who was the oldest – was even now moving around with surprising vigour. How they were able to keep up with the pace was something she could just not figure out.

"What do you suppose is up with our science friends?" she asked. "I'm almost at my limit, but they seem fine."

"You read my mind," Jack responded. "Especially Sammy. He is enjoying this far too much, almost as if we are on a Sunday school field trip."

"I suggest you two worry less about the eggheads and more about keeping guard." Mainz sounded a bit anxious. "Don't need anything creeping up on us." Staying still seems to have put him on edge. He was behaving more strangely than usual, but Seras supposed that was to be expected. She was feeling very tense herself.

"Cap's coming down," Jack interrupted her thoughts. "Look sharp."

The Captain was just reaching the end of his downward climb, Cortez following close behind. They soon joined the others. Seras noticed a worried look on both their faces, but choose to wait for their explanation. After calling the scientists, the Captain did just that.

"It's difficult to tell if we're heading the correct way," he explained. "We are closer to the mountain, but there's still a lot of territory to cover. There's no chance we'll meet with Bravo on schedule. The higher terrain didn't help with our commlink troubles one little bit."

"What about a way out of this maze?" Doctor Becker asked. "Could you see anything from up there?"

Cortez was the one to answer. "We saw nothing like that, not even through the binocs." He sighed. "The red haze makes it difficult to see very far."

Seras heart dropped at these words, and from the grim looks of the others they all shared the same sentiment. Being lost amongst the stone corridors with who knows what kind of beasts lurking below ground was not a very pleasant thought. It looked like they would have to retrace their steps if they wanted to get out of here. Meeting up with Bravo was the least of their worries at the moment. But the Captain was not yet finished.

"Our reconnaissance was not a complete waste," he continued. "Cortez, give me that map. Doctor, if you would have a look?"

He spread the paper on a rock and pointed to a specific spot.

"We thing we are about here, between these two ranges. From a distance it seemed like the rock faces eventually meet up. If we continue down this path we will likely encounter a dead end."

The Captain indicated the other path that disappeared amongst the cliffs.

"That path looks like the only way out."

The Captain sighed while wiping some sweat off his brow. Doctor Becker looked thoughtful for a moment before answering.

"I don't see us as having much of a choice. We can always try to go back the way we came, but how long will that take before we reach higher ground?"

"Too long," Mainz said. "We should already have checked in with both Bravo and Tango. They're probably on yellow alert already."

"Not to mention that we don't have any guarantee that going back will offer a better way out of here," Seras added. She was not keen on going back. The way forward led away from her previous encounter and also away from whatever beast was trying to grab her. In her mind that's all that mattered.

"Well, no point in just hanging around," Jack said. "Cap, did you see any sign of activity?"

He did not say it, but he also did not have to. Everyone was thinking about the possibility of another attack from below. Until they knew what they were dealing with they could not let their guard down even for a second.

"None that we could see," the Captain replied. "I confess, however, that it was difficult to see very far, and the route was mostly hidden from sight. We will have to be careful."

The Captain folded the map and handed it back to Doctor Becker.

"Alright everyone! Get you gear together and we'll be off," the Captain stated with a note of finality in his voice. "Mainz, you take point again. I'll take over trying to contact Tango. The rest of you stay alert. No mistakes, people."

Grasping her assault rifle firmly in her hands, Seras resumed her rearguard position as the group moved out. Hopefully they would get lucky for a change and discover a route to higher ground. In the meantime all she needed to do was to keep a sharp lookout and everything would be fine.

**Chapter 3**

A hot wind blew around them as they made their way along the rock strewn track snaking between the cliff walls. High above, an unremarkable red haze filled what little sky they could see, further adding to the dismal look of the place. No heavenly bodies were evident, although at times it seemed as if a strange shimmering filled the air. Seras was unsure whether it was real or simply a trick being played on her eyes.

As was explained during the mission briefing, UB427 has no magnetic north, so navigation took place chiefly by way of landmarks and relative coordinates. Earlier excursions enabled the partial mapping of the terrain around Teleport Station 6; however, Doctor Betruger constantly sought to expand the charts. Way marks were used to identify easily recognisable landmarks and locations. The scientists also possessed some sort of survey device that they could use to measure and plot distances. Ordinarily the system would have been sufficient for the limited amount of geography being explored around the teleporter; however, for some reason the device sometimes gave misleading results. It was something that stilled baffled the scientists.

"And so we find ourselves in yet another mess," Seras softly whispered to herself. While she was physically still in good shape, mentally she was worn out. It felt as if UB427 was trying to sucking away her very soul. Every step she took seemed to be harder than the last. She was unwilling to find out how much more of it she could take before finally losing herself to the evil of the place.

"Look over there," Doctor Williamson unexpectedly cried out. He was pointing at a large fissure in the cliff up ahead.

"What do you see, Rick?" Doctor Becker made his way up to his excited comrade.

"I think I can see some kind of structure hidden in the shadows of that rock face! Perhaps it's part of a building?"

Everyone hastily examined the place he was pointing to.

"I can't be certain, but it looks like Rick might be right," Doctor Becker exclaimed after a few moments. "It's worth having a look at.

"I agree," the Captain responded. "Everyone, be on guard. I will lead, the rest of the marines fall in between me and the science team."

Seras and the rest swiftly did as ordered. The group carefully approached the cliff, the marines keeping a close eye on the area to make sure that no ambushes awaited them. The scientists were talking excitedly amongst themselves, conjecturing about what they might discover. Personally, Seras felt they should not get their hopes up.

Her negative standpoint proved to be a mistake when they got closer. The narrow fissure revealed a corridor carved out of stone and cemented by large stone blocks disappearing into the depths of the cliff. Two large gargoyle-like statues stood on either side of the entrance. Time had not been kind, as most of their features were decayed and broken. But the menacing expressions on their hideous faces were unmistakable.

"Boy oh boy, do I suddenly not feel very happy about this," Cortez said. "Perhaps it's not too late to get the hell out of here?"

"Come on soldier, where's your adventurous spirit?" Jack eyed the entryway with interest, clearly happy to finally have found something more than just fire and rocks. "This could be our lucky day."

"What's the matter, Cortez?" Sam added. "Forgot to pack your blanky?"

"You shut up, Sam, or I swear I'll…"

The Captain quickly interrupted Cortez.

"Quiet! Jack, you and Seras recon the passage. The rest stays put and remains alert for anything."

Seras was less than thrilled to venture into the dark passage, but was thankful that she would at least not be alone. She and Jack carefully made their way to either side of the entrance. Making sure to turn on her flashlight, Seras readied her assault rifle and nodded towards Jack.

"You ready, big guy?"

"Always, my sweet" he dramatically reply.

Suppressing the urge to roll her eyes, Seras quickly ducked around the corner. Jack wasted no time in following her. Their shapes were easily swallowed by the darkness of the passage and all too soon they left the corridor entrance far behind. Fortunately, their flashlights proved more than adequate to light the way ahead.

The stone corridor stretched off into the gloom. Having no other choice but to follow it they trudged onward, taking care not to step on the debris cluttering the passage floor. The corridor quickly narrowed quite a bit until they could only proceed in single file. The ceiling, however, rose up into the murk until they could not longer see it even with their flashlights.

"Fun trip, huh?" Jack's words startled her a bit, but they were welcome none the less. "Almost reminds me of the slow ride to grandma's house."

"I didn't know you still have a grandmother?" Seras responded. Her position at the front kept her busy watching the floor and scanning for dangers up ahead.

"Of course, my dear." Jack scanned the passage behind them, not taking any chances that something might be sneaking up. "How unforgivable of me not to mention her! A sweeter old lady you'll not find on earth. Just thinking about her lemon cream tarts makes my mouth water."

"I wouldn't mind some of those right now, either." Seras tried to ignore the empty feeling in her stomach. Almost a day has passed since her last full meal, but hopefully they would have a chance for some field rations after they met up with Bravo Squad.

"You don't have any candy bars with you by chance, do you?" Jack ventured hopefully.

"Um, no," Seras responded. She was secretly hoping that he might have something himself. However, before she could ask him about it the sight of a ghastly shape attached to the passage wall halted her progress. Her gasp was enough to draw Jack's attention.

"What's the … holy shit!"

Extreme nausea penetrated the pit of Seras' stomach. She quickly turned away in order to avoid throwing up. The sight of Jack's pale face came as no surprise; he was taking it no better than she.

The corridor suddenly grew much wider. Mounted on the wall was a shape very familiar to them both, so much so that Seras could almost not believe what she was seeing. But there it was, cruelly affixed and writhing about as if in agony.

It was a man's torso.

The head, arms and legs were missing, leaving nothing but cauterised stumps in their stead. Indications were that the cuts were neither clean nor painless, as if intended to inflict the maximum amount of torment on the unfortunate recipient. A long metallic peg driven through the heart served to attach the torso to the wall. Most horrifyingly of all, however, was the fact that the thing still seemed to be alive. It was something Seras knew she would not forget for the rest of her days. It twisted about unceasingly as if trying to escape from invisible restraints, but its struggles proved absolutely futile. It was impossible to tell for how long it had been mounted on the wall.

"How can it still be alive?" Seras whimpered through her tears. "How can such a thing even exist?"

"I … I don't know," Jack responded. His face still held a look of disbelief. "I'm going to take a closer look. Watch my back."

Drying her tears, Seras readied herself for anything unexpected. The appalling object was still some metres away. There was no telling if the monster that perpetrated such an act was still around. As Jack came closer to the torso, a dim light started to shine from its neck. Unexpectedly, flames erupted from the neck wound, casting a bright light around the corpse that served to illuminate the passage. At the same time, similar flames lit up along the passage stretching into the distance.

"You mean there are more of them?" Jack exclaimed, his voice faltering slightly. After taking a deep breath to calm himself, he turned to face Seras. "I think we'd better get back to the Captain."

Not trusting herself to speak, Seras nodded in agreement. The two of them quickly returned the way they came.

***

The science team was not very surprised by Jack and Seras' report. Doctor Becker merely nodded his head grimly as he intently listened to their tale with a serious expression.

"To be honest, this was not entirely unexpected," he said after they finished. "Previous reports received by Delta already confirmed as much. It is not something we like many people to know about, for obvious reasons."

"Damn it, Doctor!" Jack retorted angrily. "We're talking about a mutilated corpse impaled on a wall! Exactly when were we going to be briefed on it?"

"Lieutenant, control yourself!"

The Captain's sharp rebuke silenced Jack's words, but his angry expression did not change. Cortez, who was listening to the entire exchange calmly, asked the next obvious question.

"Was there any sign of the perpetrators?"

"No," Seras replied. "Actually, it seemed as if it had been on the wall for quite some time. Not only that, it seems to be mounted as a means of illuminating the passage." Seras hesitated to imagine the kind of beast that would do such a thing, or even where the victims originally came from. "As for the rest, your guess is as good as mine."

"Well, it's no good standing around here people," Sam decided to add his worth. "I suggest we go on in there and have a closer look. After all, we did come here to take samples."

The Captain looked thoughtful for a minute before turning to Doctor Becker.

"Doctor, what do you suggest?"

Doctor Becker was clearly excited about the prospect of investigating Seras and Jack's discovery. Despite the grim nature of the situation, there was a strange twinkle in his eyes, almost as if he was regaining some of his youthful energy. Seras noticed that Doctor Williamson and Sam displayed similar excitement.

"As Sam said, there's no point waiting out here. This is why we've come." The Doctor sighed heavily, obviously torn between his interests as a scientist and Alpha Squad's safety. "True, I would prefer extra backup, but Bravo Squad is still far away. I doubt we'll be any safer by waiting for them."

The Captain glanced at Seras and Jack with a worried look before sighing.

"I trust the two of you are in a condition to continue?"

"Yes sir!" Jack yelled, obviously still upset at the state of affairs. Seras realized that if they could expect many more such "surprises" there would be conflict between Jack and the Captain. Like the rest of them he expected to be briefed in detail and could become quite vocal when information was withheld. Not that she thought the Captain to be much better off; it was unlikely that he knew much more than they did.

"Alright marines! Saddle up and get ready to move out."

Although Seras was still feeling a bit queasy, her initial shock was wearing off. She decided to catch her second wind as the others moved past her into the corridor. Jack led the way for the scientists, while the Captain and Mainz brought up the rear. Cortez did not seem particularly inclined to follow. Instead, he stood by quietly as the other disappeared in the darkness of the passage.

"You alright, Seras?" Cortez suddenly asked. Seras noticed that he kept throwing nervous glances at the corridor.

"Just about," she replied. "I'm not ecstatic about going back into that darkness, though."

"I hear ya."

Cortez seemed to glance around for a moment before continuing.

"You ever get the feeling there's something big they're not telling us?"

Seras gave an empty chuckle.

"Ha, like there's even any doubt about it," she said. "This place is like a nightmare. We're in way over our heads, and I can't understand why the Captain hasn't called off the mission."

"Hmm, the mission has definitely gone to shit, that's for sure," Cortez replied. He looked a lot more on edge than usual. Has was the most superstitious and paranoid person Seras knew, which often made her wonder why he chose a job in the marines. She did not know very much about the man. Ironically, she knew more about Mainz's past due to having served with him longer. Cortez remained tight lipped about his own story.

Her thoughts were interrupted as Cortez continued.

"This mission's gone to shit very quickly and we're far away from help. What kind of moronic strategy is that? I for one am not going to die in this godforsaken wasteland!"

His words echoed the thoughts that were going through her mind. The tense atmosphere of UB427 made thinking such things unavoidable, even though the squad had so far not suffered any serious injuries. It was as if they were being toyed with, as if they were being shown that their wellbeing was an allowance, not a necessity. The illusion of safety they have created around themselves was just that: an illusion.

They were interrupted by Jack's voice yelling from the darkness of the corridor.

"You guys coming or what? Can't get this party started all by ourselves."

Startled out of their melancholy, they quickly set off after him and soon caught up with the rest. The Captain and Cortez proceeded further down the passage in order to scout a bit further ahead. While the scientist busied themselves with their investigation, the remaining marines stood to one side. With all the new light sources illuminating the passage the visibility of the area was much clearer than before, but Seras found herself thinking that it was perhaps not such a good development. She avoided looking at the line of flaming torsos that stretched down the corridor as much as possible.

"Cortez and I were just talking. So, what do you think about our odds of getting out of here?" she asked while trying not to look at the grim display nailed to the wall.

"Getting worse by the second, my dear." Jack recovered some of his colour, but it was nowhere close to the cheerful mood she was accustomed to. "It's like a piece of meat," he continued, his eyes fixed on the spectacle on the wall. "A piece of meat that's been hung up to dry. Whatever did this; to it we are nothing more than cattle to the slaughter."

Mainz remained silent. Of the three of them he was the one with the most experience. When the mood struck him, he would sometimes recount some of his adventures, but it happened very rarely. Seras always found his tales exciting, although some of them were downright scary. During his stories he often hinted at a darker past, although he never went into any great detail about it.

"Have you ever encountered something like this, Mainz?" she ventured, hoping that he would say yes. That would at least reinforce her hope that they were dealing with a human enemy.

"I have seen similar things, yes. Back on earth, in the dark jungles of Africa." He turned around and looked her in the eyes. "I can unfortunately not allay your fears, Seras. I have seen humans do cruel things yes, inhuman things. I have also studied the ways of torture for much of my life."

He suddenly looked very tired. "I recognise some of the wounds on this body. There are also many wounds I do not understand, but it feels as if I have known about them always. It's strange. I might actually be going mad."

He gave a mirthless chuckle before continuing in a more subdued tone. "The victim suffered excruciating torment for a very long time before finally dying. If indeed he did die. Will we end up like that, I wonder? Or perhaps as something worse?"

Afterwards they remained quiet, each dwelling on Mainz's words. The three researchers finished their analysis just as the Captain and Cortez returned.

"There's not much we can say right now," Doctor Becker explained as they stowed away their gear. "We need to get the samples we took back to my lab. Conditions here make it very difficult to work."

"Doctor, we'd better leave a marker here just in case," Sam said while taking a few last minute pictures. "It might be necessary to return later."

"I'll take care of that." Doctor Williamson bent down and scribbled a few small words on the rocks below the corpse. "There, that should remain out of sight. I'll also mark this location on the map once we're out of here."

The Captain stepped forward quickly, taking the Doctor's words as a sign to move out.

"Alright, Doctor. I'd like to get out of here and back on track as soon as possible." He motioned to Seras and the other marines to form up, something she was only too glad to do. While the outside was not exactly a relaxing walk through a flower garden, at least it did not have mutilation and horrors that seem to hide around every turn.

"Yes, Captain, I think that would be for the best," Doctor Becker said. "While I would love to continue our explorations along this tunnel, perhaps caution is best called for. Our first priority is to get back on track with the mission."

Seras sighed with relieve as they started back the way they came. The sooner she was out of the narrow corridor the better she would feel. She was not claustrophobic by nature, but the situation inside the tunnel was definitely getting to her.

They continued along the passage for a while. It did not take long for everyone to discover something was wrong.

"Alright, this shit is weird," Cortez said. "Where did the exit go?"

"Everyone, stay calm," the Captain said while moving to the head of the group. "Jack, how far away should the entrance be?"

"We should've been there already, Cap," Jack replied. "So far as I can tell we have already passed the point distance-wise."

Something started to nag at the back of Seras's skull, something that told her to run and not look back. With a conscious effort she managed to suppress the urge, instead shining her light down the way they came. She gasped at what she saw.

"The light!" she cried. "Where's the light?"

Behind them existed only a wall of blackness, a wall so thick that even the light of her torch could not penetrate it. She could not discern any features, not even the rocky walls of the passage. It was impossible to see anything for more than a few centimetres into the darkness.

"What the hell?" Sam said as the others also realized their predicament. Eight beams of light shined on the corridor, but all of them mysteriously faded away into blackness.

"Extraordinary!" Doctor Williamson cried excitedly. "Simply extraordinary!"

He was about to rush forward in order to examine the phenomenon more closely, but the Captain quickly raised an arm to bar his way.

"Hold on, Rick," Doctor Becker said. "We should be careful. This does not look like just another random occurrence."

"Jack and Mainz, keep our front covered while I have a look at this," the Captain said. He moved passed Seras and slowly approached the wall of darkness. He soundlessly took a step inside it. For a moment she was terrified at the thought of him getting lost in the darkness, but fortunately he stepped out again after just a moment.

"We're continuing along this route, it seems," he told everyone. "Whatever that is, it does not carry light at all. If we try to double back along our path, we will certainly get lost."

The atmosphere amongst the Alpha Squad members became tense as the implication of his statement set in.

"We're being fucking herded, man!" Cortez yelled, his eyes not leaving the darkness for a second.

"Control yourself, Cortez!" the Captain barked, his voice echoing through the passage. "We're moving on." When Cortez hesitated, he added "Now."

A feeling of nervous panic arose in the pit of Seras' stomach, but with some effort she managed to forcefully suppress it. The idea of being caught in the dark, underground and isolated from any help, made her hair stand on end. She knew that they could not rely on Tango or anyone else for assistance. That made it especially important to keep a clear head and think things through. There was no telling what horrors awaited them further on their journey. They needed to be ready to deal with anything.

As the group moved on, Seras became a little more confident in her step. Recalling her marine training helped to ease her tension and provided her with renewed determination. The others did not say much, but she knew from experience that they did not give up easily either. As long as everyone remained together they would be able to deal with any type of challenge. Her job as a marine entailed that she make sure it stayed that way.

**Chapter 4**

The migraine pounding away at Seras' sensitive brain almost made her want to scream.

"Great," she muttered to herself. "As if this constant inferno isn't enough to deal with. And me without my aspirin." Grimacing in discomfort, she looked over at the source of her headache.

"Look Sammy, just what is your bloody problem?"

"Piss off, Jack! I don't take orders from you!"

None of the marines really cared much for Sam, but the dislike between him and Jack far outweighed that of the rest. Back at Delta Labs the two refused to even spend time in the same room. It was strange that both of them ended up in the same team, but in hindsight she mused that both of them were probably to prideful to bring the matter to the attention of their superiors. As their face off grew more and more heated, she began to dread where the situation was headed.

"And just when the Captain is nowhere to be found," Seras whispered, her hand held against her temple in annoyance.

Alpha squad had split into two teams in order to best recon the huge chamber they discovered. In hindsight it was not the smartest thing to do, she decided. The Captain, Cortez, Doctor Becker and Doctor Williamson formed one team and at that moment were probably somewhere close to the other side of the room. That left the others to scout out the rest, a combination that now provided no end to Seras' misery.

"Will you two shut the hell up!" she finally shouted while glaring at both vehemently. "Just stop it!"

Jack did not take his eyes off Sam for a second. It looked like he was itching to take Sam on. Sam did not appear even remotely fazed by Jack's angry glare despite the marine's larger size.

"You heard the lady," Mainz also added. He chose to keep an eye out for possible danger, so he was not fully focused on their argument.

"No until this idiot starts playing ball!" Jack growled. "Imagine running off on your own? You could've gotten all of us killed!"

"And just what are you so worried about?" Sam yelled back. "That little green pixies will bounce up out of the ground and turn us all into furry little hamsters? I think not."

"You know damn well what the problem is! And I'm going to enjoy making you admit it!"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, blondie, don't you know it is a sin to hate?"

The condescending tone in Sam's voice was almost enough to enrage Seras as well. Sam sneered confidently at Jack before turning to look at her.

"We should make love, not war," he said while leering at her with undisguised lust. "And I know just where to start."

Too shocked to say anything, Seras simply stared numbly back at him for a moment.

"Time to die."

The coldness of the words knocked her out of her stupor. Surprisingly, they were not uttered by Jack, but instead by Mainz. He lowered his weapon and rapidly approached Sam with a cold look on his face.

"You read my mind," Jack calmly added. His previous anger was gone, instead replace by a cold fury that burned beneath the surface. His face was contorted into a vicious grin that sent chills down Seras' spine. This was not the man she had come to know as her friend.

"Jack, Mainz, what are you doing!" she yelled. She quickly moved to obstruct the Jack's path. "Stand down, this is not right! Mainz, don't' do this!"

But her words fell on deaf ears. None of the three men gave any indication of having heard her. Jack shoved her roughly out of the way and she fell painfully on the stone floor of the chamber.

"Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!" Seras repeated like a mantra, her small fists clenched in fury. She was angry at them for doing this, at herself for being a part of it, but mostly at UB427 for the misery it caused. Determined to stop their idiotic behaviour, she quickly got back on her feet and ran towards them.

Suddenly, just before the two marines could reach Sam, the floor began to shake. Everyone was knocked off their feet and fell down sprawling. Seras desperately attempted to grab onto something to steady herself, but failed to find anything close at hand. She was tossed mercilessly over the floor as the earthquake intensified. Large pieces of rubble began falling from the ceiling, some of them narrowly missing her. Instinctively she cried out for help, but realized that the others were probably no better off than she was.

She could hear their cries faintly. The sound of the earthquake was almost deafening, especially in the enclosed confines of the chamber. Giving up on finding something to grab on to, Seras instead raised her hands over her head in an attempt to block some of the noise. Her effort did not really help very much.

The shaking continued for a few minutes more until finally subsiding abruptly. A dead silence followed in the wake of the earthquake. Bit and pieces of rubble were still falling from the ceiling, walls and stone pillars supporting the room, but at least it seemed under control. Seras groaned as she raised herself into a sitting position. The sand and dust made her eyes water and for the moment she was unable to see anything. Her throat was sore from trying to breathe the polluted air. Fortunately, she was able to soothe the ache with a few gulps from her canteen.

After a few coughs she finally managed to calm down enough to clean her face with what remained of her dirty handkerchief. It did not help much, but at least her vision started to clear up. She first noticed the debris and rubble that littered the floor. It was a miracle that none of them had struck her. Amazingly enough, the area around her position was clear of any sizable rocks. Frowning, she decided to worry about it later.

Groans were emanating from other parts of the room as well. It sounded like Jack and Sam was alright, but Seras could not make out any noise from Mainz. She shakily got to her feet and looked at the place she saw him last. He was lying not too far away, but did not show any signs of movement.

"Mainz, are you alright?" she asked, her voice barely recognizable. After taking a moment to clear it, she tried again. "Mainz, speak to me!"

"Is that you Seras?"

Jack's voice reached her ears. Breathing a sigh of relief, she turned in the direction of the voice and noticed him rising unsteadily to his feet a few metres away. Sam was still lying down.

"Damn it, what the hell was that about?" Jack continued, slowly making his way towards her. He tried to dust himself off a little, but gave up when he realize he was just making more of a mess than anything else. His face was very dirty, but it seemed that he had at least calmed down and was paying Sam no further mind.

Seras walked over to Mainz, Jack following right behind her. After carefully examining Mainz she observed that he was breathing steadily, but attempts to wake him were unsuccessful. He showed signs of being struck by some of the larger debris, but at least he was still alive. After making sure he was in no immediate danger, Seras and Jack sat down beside him.

"Close call," Jack said. He took a drink from his own canteen before offering her some. She shook her head, hesitant to take from what must surely be his own dwindling supply.

"You can say that again," Seras replied. "At least you're not fighting anymore."

"Yeah, sorry about that."

They remained quiet for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. Mainz remained unconscious and Sam displayed no attempt to get up. From the sound of his voice they at least knew he was alive. He seemed to be whispering something to himself. Jack chose to ignore him, but Seras was getting worried that he might have hit his head or something. She slowly got to her feet, groaning as her limbs protested against the sudden movement.

"Where are you going?" Jack asked.

"Just to check up on Sam," she replied. "We should probably start looking for the others as well."

"I'll get on it," Jack said while getting up. "It's a good think we have some light in this room, otherwise we would have been severely fubar." He sounded more like his old self now that they had something to do. "I'll try to signal them with my flashlight, you go have a look at the eggplant over there. Mainz can catch up on his beauty sleep for a while."

Seras smiled a little as she made her way over the debris to the fallen scientist. Jack was always able to brighten her mood, no matter the situation. She was thankful the he was once again his normal self.

"Come on, Sam, time to get up," she muttered when she reached the prone figure. From the look of things Sam suffered from minor cuts and bruises, but nothing major seemed to be the problem. May miracles never cease, Seras thought. She reached down to grab hold of his arm.

"We need to move on, Sam. Get up please."

Sam suddenly sat straight up and looked at her. His clothes were covered in dirt and torn in places, but it was his expression that drew her attention. His lips were curled in a snarl, saliva running down his chin. He growled at her, almost like a rabid dog, causing Seras to jump back quickly. Sam got on his hands and feet, his eyes never leaving her. Seras' breath caught in her throat when she realized that the two orbs focusing their piercing gaze on her was completely dark.

Seras was about to call out to Jack when the floor beneath her trembled again. Caught unawares, she was unable to jump away as it collapsed and sent Sam and her falling down into darkness. The last thing she heard before losing sight of the rapidly disappearing hole above her was Jack calling out her name.

***

She fell for what seemed like an eternity, but in reality it could not have been more than half a minute. Darkness surrounded her on all sides, leaving her unable to tell if Sam was close. Seras knew that she was rapidly losing consciousness. For once she actually welcomed this fact, as she did not expect the bottom of her descent to hold anything other than a painful death. The events of the past few minutes left her mind so numb that she was unable to scream. Closing her eyes tightly, she prayed that the end would be mercifully swift.

Unexpectedly, a warm wind started to blow around her. The heat that touched her cheeks was somehow different from the perpetual inferno she was accustomed to. Instead, it was an almost tender feeling that sent burst of pleasure coursing through her body. Forgetting about her predicament, she sighed contently and relaxed as her entire being was enveloped in something she could not quite describe, but welcomed with a degree of ecstasy that had so far been unknown to her.

Seras was struck out of her reverie as her feet lightly touched the ground. For a moment, she was completely disorientated. The warmth that filled her being rapidly receded, leaving in its wake an emptiness that was almost unbearable. For a moment she could almost imagine hearing a deep chuckle, but it was over so quickly she could not be certain. Seras clutched her hands to her chest, quiet heaves wreaking her body. She fell to her knees and remained still for a while, simply trying to get control of her feelings again.

After a few minutes she felt confident enough to rise. Her surroundings were pitch black and deadly quiet, which made her nervous about her present situation. She needed to have a look around and hopefully find a way back to the others. For the time being she would ignore the question about her extraordinary rescue.

After checking her flashlight she was relieved to discover it was still functional. She shined the light around the room to try and get her bearings. From the look of the steep rock faces on either side disappearing into the murk above it seemed as if she stood in the middle of a wide crevice. There was no sign of Sam anywhere close, although Seras supposed there was no way of telling where he would have landed. It was unlikely that he would have survived the fall anyway.

Deciding that one way was probably just as good as the other, Seras started to move along the crevice in a direction she hoped would lead to an exit. A casual test of her commlink did not yield any satisfactory results, which left her with no way to communicate with the rest of the team. She sincerely hoped that they were alright and searching for her.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard it. A low moaning sound that echo around the walls of the cleft, gradually growing in volume. The sound was completely alien to her. She soon realized that it was moving in her direction and she quickly raised her firearm in readiness. It did not take long before she witnessed the chaotic mass of flesh slowly dragging itself towards her through the dark.

Seras shrieked in terror. Even though most of its distinguishing features were eroded, the identity of the creature was unmistakeable. It was Sam, hideously contorted and bent in every way imaginable. The moaning was emanating from what remained of his shredded lips, slowly uttering the same cry of agony over and over again. His arms and legs were broken and twisted around his torso. The very fact that he was still alive and able to move is what scared Seras the most. She could not comprehend how his arms and legs could still be strong enough to launch him over the floor, leaving a trail of blood in his wake that stretch into the darkness.

Seras' outcry made the beast pause for a moment as if considering something. It changed its course slightly and started to head straight for her. She hurriedly scampered backwards, but tripped over a large rock and fell on her behind. Tiny rock splinters jabbed into her hands, almost bringing tears to her eyes. However, the sudden pain helped her to regain her senses somewhat. She grabbed a firm hold of her weapon and took aim at the approaching horror.

"Freeze!" Seras yelled, hoping that it could still understand her. "Stop right there or I will shoot!"

Unsurprisingly, the beast formerly known as Sam Campers ignored her. As it drew closer, it seemed to become more excited. A long slimy tongue emerged from its maw, frantically waving through the air in the most vulgar manner Seras had ever seen. A vile stench hit her nostrils and almost made her lose the contents of her stomache.

"Damn you, Sam!" she cries, tears running down her eyes. "Damn you for making me do this!"

She opened fire with her assault rifle, the bullets striking the monster in its head. Its tongue got in the path of the barrage and was quickly severed. It fell down onto the ground with a sickening thud and flopped around for a while before remaining still.

The attack lasted only for a second or two, but was enough to stop the creature in its tracks. Seras' prided herself in being one of the best shots in the Mars base, and this was no exception. Virtually nothing remained of the beast's head and torso. The moans also stopped, much to her relief. She remained quiet for a minute before rising to her feet.

Remaining wary of the creature as she stepped around it, Seras continued on her way along the bottom of the crevice. She swiftly wiped the tears from her eyes while trying not to think about the horror she had stumbled upon. What happened to Sam, a man she disliked, but still would never wish something like this upon? She killed him, a fellow comrade that she was charged with protecting not long before. Was what happened to him also intended to be her fate?

Strange things had been happening since they came to UB427. Judging by the latest series of events, things were starting to grow a lot more complicated. The barbaric and violent nature of her encounters thus far almost pushed her mind over the edge. Shaking her head, Seras dislodged that train of thought from her mind. She was not a quitter, and would damn well not start being one now. Firmly grasping her weapon in grim determination, she walked onward, leaving the bleeding corpse of her former charge behind in the dark.

***

Before long Seras reached what appeared to be the end of the crevice. She found herself standing in a dead end surrounded on three sides by the cavern walls. Sighing in frustration, Seras turned around to try the opposite side of the crevice, but by chance her flash light shone over a narrow opening in one of the walls. It was a rocky corridor that inclined sharply into the distance, running straight and narrow for as far as Seras could see.

"Not much of a choice, I guess," she grumbled softly to herself. The corridor looked relatively more inviting than going back past the corpse of Sam, although she realized that it probably did not matter. She had no idea where she was or how far she would have to go to reach the surface. There was very little else she could do besides going upward. She was anxious to rejoin the others as soon as possible.

Fortunately, Seras was not the type to be scared of the dark or small spaces. She was therefore able to proceed along the corridor without hesitation, even though it narrowed quite a lot in some places. Strangely enough, the further she went the more man-made the corridor became. The rough walls gradually turned into smooth stonework that also extended to the floor and ceiling. After proceeding for a time, Seras found herself in surroundings that were in stark contrast to the dark chasm she had fallen into not long before.

She emerged from the corridor into a huge open cavern. From the dim reddish light shining through gaps in the ceiling she could tell that she was very close to the surface. The entire cavern was superbly illuminated by a large river of magma flowing through its centre and also numerous torches scattered about the walls. A large two-story building composed of a strange green material unidentifiable to Seras stood close by. The stone path emerging from the corridor ran all the way up to a large doorway that she assumed must be its front entrance. The structure looked derelict and broken down, much like everything else on UB427.

She could not see any other exists from the cavern. What she needed was a higher vantage point from which to do some reconnaissance, and the top of the green building was the ideal place to do it. After turning off her flashlight to conserve its power, she set off towards it, readying her assault rifle in case of attack.

The constant flickering of light all around her played games with her perception. Shadows constantly wavered in and out of existence, creating an illusion of darting figures and horrible shapes. Seras soon found herself wishing for the dull and straight shapes of the passage she had emerged from. Her feeling of nervousness increased as she got closer to the structure. The building was wrecked with holes and broken down masonry, all of which refracted the light to craft an impression of strange contortions and tall, thin denizens furtively scurrying about its interior.

Fortunately, the images seemed to be only in her mind and soon she was standing in front of the entrance. Licking her lips nervously, she careful took a step inside. The light reflecting of the green walls of the interior almost blinded her for a moment. She squinted for a minute before growing accustomed to it. Whatever the material was, it seemed to amplify any light that touched it.

"Strange that I could not see it from outside," Seras whispered softly to herself while running a finger across the wall. It felt similar to marble and was warm to her touch. For a moment she could almost imagine a soft whimper emanating from it, but the feeling passed so quickly that she gave it no further thought. Shaking her head in an attempt to return to reality, Seras looked around for a way to the second floor.

A wide staircase curled around the far wall of the room and disappeared into the ceiling. Like the rest of the structure, it was also constructed of the slippery green stone-like substance. Seras made sure to watch her footing as she carefully ascended the stairs.

The second story turned out to be much more wondrous than the first. Seras gasped in delight as she noticed a large multicoloured crystal standing on a tall stone pedestal in the centre of the room. Lights of every imaginable colour flashed about the walls of the room, the peculiar quality of the walls serving to enhance their vibrant colours and radiance. The entire effect was quite beautiful to behold.

Her mind in a daze, Seras felt herself strangely drawn towards the crystal. She started to walk clumsy towards it, unable to completely focus on her steps. The lights beaming out of the crystal grew in frenzy, and it assumed a bizarre pulsating property, the throbbing becoming more and more pronounced the closer she got. Every sense she possessed screamed at her to stop and get away as far as possible, but it was too late. She was no longer in control of her body.

"Stop!"

The cry startled her out of her reverie. Something grabbed onto her shoulder and roughly pulled her away from the crystal, causing her to lose her footing. She fell on the floor in an untidy heap.

"Don't look at it," someone beside her said. "Whatever you do, never look at it."

It was a moment before Seras could clear her senses. She turned to look at her saviour, and was surprised to find it was someone very familiar.

"Jack!" she yelled happily while throwing her arms around his neck. "I was so worried!"

"Good to see you to, little one," he responded. He looked tired and worn, but still retained a bit of the sparkle she was so accustomed to. "But be careful. We are in a seriously messed up situation right now. I'm sorry that you fell into the trap as well." She let go of him, noticing the anxious look on his face.

"What's wrong, Jack? What is that thing in the centre of the room?"

She was about to turn around to look at it, but caught herself just in time.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, it's hungry."

"Hungry? How? Where are the others? How did you get here?"

Jack lightly held his right index finger to her lips, his own lips curled in slight amusement.

"Steady now, little one, give me a chance please."

His small smile was quickly replaced by a sigh before he continued.

"After you fell I managed to meet up with Williamson, but we could not find Cortez, Doctor Becker or the Captain. It was almost as if they had vanished into thin air. But we managed to find a way out and made our way here. Not much good it did us, though."

"What about Mainz, Jack?" Seras asked, afraid for the answer.

Jack shook his head as he replied.

"I'm sorry, Seras. He fell through the floor right after you and Sam did. There was no time for me to do anything."

She held back her tears, desperately staring away from Jack so that he would not notice. But by now he knew her too well.

"Don't cry, little one. I'm not giving up on him or us or any of the others. Not for as long as I still have my strength."

His firm, committed tone helped her steady her emotions. Suddenly, she was very thankful of no longer being alone, even thought their situation did not look good. Come to think of it, she was still not clear on exactly what their situation was.

"Where's Doctor Williamson?" Seras asked. "Didn't you mention that he was with you?"

"He was, but that thing got him," Jack replied wearily. "We were hoping to scout the cave from the top of the building. We found this room, same as you. I can't remember what followed very clearly, but when we looked at the crystal we lost control of our minds. Williamson reached it before me and was swallowed by it. For a moment my mind cleared up and I was able to jump away."

"Swallowed? What do you mean swallowed?"

"Exactly that, little one. It opened its maw and ate Williamson." Jack's voice suddenly assumed a much softer tone. "And it will haunt me for as long as I live, the thing that was inside, surrounded by darkness."

A moment passed before Jack's voice became normal again. "What about Sammy? Maybe he also survived like you did."

Refusing to speak about it, Seras lowered her eyes and shook her head slowly. She was not ready to talk about what happened between her and Sam. Jack seemed to understand her silence and did not mention Sam again.

Jack sat down on the floor, motioning Seras to join him. She noticed his backpack and assault rifle lying nearby.

"Aren't we leaving?" she asked with a frown. "Why are you still here?"

"Because we can't. I've tried. I've screamed, yelled, shot at everything in this room, even tried a grenade, but nothing seems to work. Nothing."

Seras' eyes glanced towards the stairway, only to find nothing there. "Wha … What happened to the stairs?" she muttered in shocked surprise.

"There never was any stairs, Seras." Jack seemed to have accepted the fact without surprise. "It was all in your mind. We entered the room through a completely different doorway, but that has also disappeared. It's probably how this thing hunts for its food."

As if in response, the crystal behind them gurgled maliciously, the dancing lights speeding up. It lasted only for a moment before silence returned. Seras sat down besides Jack, her mind lost in thought.

They remained quiet for a while, each trying to come up with a way out of the current predicament. It was Jack who finally broke the silence.

"Alright, listen up. There's only one way out of here as I see it." He started to rummage through his backpack. "We are alone in this. Anyone else still alive probably has their hands full, including the other squads. They won't be coming for us."

He finally withdrew his hands to reveal a nitro explosive. It was as much stronger version of the usual incendiary grenade carried by most marines and was mainly used to clear terrain and breach obstructions. Seras had never seen it deployed on a live field of fire.

"There's some type of monster inside that crystal," Jack continued. "One of us will have to shove this up its ass. It will not be you, so it's going to have to be me."

Seras was dumbfounded for a second. "What? No! There's no chance you'll survive that!"

"Listen to me, Seras. I've already tried to damage everything in this room. With the limited equipment we have, we're pretty much floating down the river without a paddle. There's no damn way that thing is getting me alive."

While his words made sense, Seras could not bring herself to even remotely consider the option. "No," she firmly replied. "No way in hell!"

Before Jack could stop her, she jumped up, closed her eyes and faced the crystal. Taking aim at where she thought it was, she let fly, the sound of her weapon reverberating throughout the room. The sounds told her that some of the bullets found their mark. Not a second later something whizzed passed her right ear, narrowly missing hitting her head.

"Stop, Seras!" Jack yelled behind her. "The bullets just bounce off! You stand a better chance of hitting us!"

Jack grabbed her arm and she was forced to cease her firing. He whirled her around to face him.

"Look at me, Seras."

His voice was almost inaudible, but Seras heard him very clearly. She opened her eyes slowly, hoping that it was all a bad dream, but resigned to the fact that their situation was very real. Jack's expression was grim, but strangely enough he also seemed somewhat excited.

"Believe me, little one, I'm not keen on the idea myself. But I don't have a choice."

Jack touched her cheek tenderly before continuing.

"This place has us trapped. I don't think there's much of a chance any of us will make it out in one piece. Think about what we've seen so far. I almost get the feeling that this place is alive somehow, carefully watching us and waiting for the right moment to strike."

"Jack, I…"

"No, Seras, please don't talk right now. Just listen."

For a moment Jack's usually grin returned.

"You might not like this, but you are very important to me. To all of us in the squad, even the guys who have not know you for very long."

A look of sadness crossed Jack's face. Seras looked down at her feet, unable to let him see her tears.

"You are our light, the only thing that gave us hope and joy in a place devoid of it. We made a promise between us. That we would always keep you safe."

Unable to hold herself any longer, Seras let out an uncontrolled sob. She dropped down to her knees, her hands pressed against her face in an attempt to staunch the flow of tears.

"Seras, save you tears. I need to do this. I have no regrets. That much freedom I at least still have."

Jack knelt down beside her. She flung her arms around his shoulders in a strong hug, her sobs leave tear trails against his chest. She wanted to cry out for him to stop, but the tears simply would not stop.

"Promise me one thing, Seras. That no matter what it takes, you will make it out alive. That is all I ask."

Seras wanted to reply, to tell him that they should both escape together, but a horrible shrieking denied her the chance. From behind her she could hear a high pitched humming, as if the crystal was rapidly vibrating. The noise soon passed into the rest of the room. The walls, floor and ceiling started to tremble, the lights flashing about the room even more wildly than before. A strange hissing sound originated behind her. It sounded almost like the opening of a sealed door, and Seras' feelings sank as she realized that the monster in the crystal was finally tired of playing with them.

"Look's like our time is up."

Jack rose to his feet, the nitro grenade clasped firmly in his right hand.

"Good luck, Seras. May we meet again in a better place."

Before she could react, he ran towards the crystal, a loud battle cry voicing his final defiance. Seras spun around in the hopes of catching him and forcing him away before it was too late, but he was already out of her reach. What she saw at the core of the chamber sent a shock through her body, a scream of horror building in her throat. The crystal was open and the horror that sat spread out inside it was almost more than she could bear. As her eyes met it, a familiar feeling of numbness overtook her, and she began to slowly walk towards it, her fears rapidly receding.

But Jack reached his mark. She dimly noticed him arming the device and then diving into the black mass of the creature. Satisfied at having caught its prey and also content to leave her for later, the monster withdrew into itself, the crystal forming around it and Jack. The numbness faded from Seras' mind as the beast relinquished its control over her for a moment.

She barely managed to dive away in time as the crystal shattered into a thousand pieces. The explosion was deafening. Seras curled up against the wall and tried to shut her ears with her hands, but she could not block out the dying shrieks of the creature. It felt like an eternity, but only lasted for a few seconds before silence once again settled on the room. She lay unmoving for a few minutes before finally gathering her resolve. When she opened her eyes, Seras was amazed to find that the green that once permeated her surrounding was gone, instead replaced by the dullness of an ancient, decaying structure. The illusion that once governed the place was dispelled.

She rose to her feet and scanned the room. No trace of the crystal or Jack remained, not even of the shards that were strewn about during the explosion. Everything was gone, vanished into nothingness as if it had all been a dream from which she finally woke up. Thinking about Jack's sacrifice reminded her that it was not just a delusion, but instead of grief, she somehow felt confident. It was his final gift to her, to show her that she should fight on her own terms, even if it means death. He chose his own death, refusing to let UB427 do it for him. Seras vowed that she would not waste his sacrifice. She would get back to Earth, even if it was the last thing she ever did.

**Chapter 5**

Seras almost lost hope of ever escaping the twisting maze of passages. No matter what direction she tried, she could not find any sign of the others or an exit to the surface. She even tried to yell for help, but the harsh atmosphere stubbornly refused to carry the sound of her voice for any real distance.

After the defeat of the crystal creature, Seras had found a stone stairway at the far end of the room. Having found little option in the matter, she had descended into a passageway that led into many more passages, which ultimately resulted in her current predicament. Once again she found herself without any idea of her location or how far away the surface was. Fortunately, her surroundings afforded some illumination, the source of which she was unable to determine. She guessed that it must be coming from the walls. The light at least afforded her a clear view of the maze of passages and intersecting corridors, so she could at least save whatever remained of her flashlight's power for later.

Navigating the passages proved to be difficult. Attempts to mark the walls with her combat knife proved to be futile. She was unable to find any of the markings she made earlier, yet for some reason she could not help imagining that she was going in circles. One corridor looked very much the same as the next, which left her with little other possibilities for plotting a course out of the maze.

She cursed her foul luck. Nothing on the trip was turning out as planned. Her thirst was growing steadily worse and she now found herself again aching for a mouthful of sweet, cool water. The constant heat did not let up, and Seras guessed her level of perspiration was probably the main reason for her dehydrated state. The problem only seemed to get worse with every step she took, but there was little she could do about it.

Attempts to make contact with the others using her commlink only met with static and she was on the verge of shooting the thing in annoyance. An investigation of her belongings also revealed similar problems with her PDA, although it was not of much use to her in this environment to being with. She spared a few minutes to quickly gobble down one of her field rations, although without water it was a less than pleasant experience. At least her hunger was satiated for the time being. She did not really have any definite plans in mind other than to find the others and retreat to the teleport station.

Evidence of other forms of life remained elusive; although her earlier encounters served as proof that UB427 definitely possessed something of the sort. She was constantly on guard and keeping a look out for anything unexpected. However, UB427 continued to remain as lifeless as she had first thought. Seras was hoping it would stay that way.

Staying focussed on the task at hand helped her to deal with her grief for her dead companions. For the moment she managed to push all thoughts of them to one side. Only when she returned to the safety of the Mars facility would she think of them again, but right now she would not allow herself any time to hesitate. She would fulfil Jack's last request, no matter the cost.

The silence surrounding her was marred only by her own footsteps, although occasionally a distant cry would echo from some unknown source. It made Seras a bit uncomfortable. The temperature grew gradually warmer the further she progressed, and before long she noticed that the soft light emanating from the passage walls was slowly being replaced by a much deeper glow. She quickened her pace onwards.

For once luck seemed to be on her side. The passage grew wider and she finally emerged into the outside world. Seras found herself standing on a narrow track winding along the face a tall cliff as far as she could see. The cliff formed one side of a deep gorge. Far above her she could see the familiar red haze of UB427. It was very hot, mainly due to the river of magma that slowly flowed at the bottom of the gorge, which also served to illuminate the cliff in all manner of reds and yellows.

Seras noted that there was no way she would be able to climb the cliff face. Her only option would be to proceed along the path and hope that it led to the surface. She was completely in the dark about where she was, but finally finding the outside greatly renewed her determination. Hopefully a little exploration would lead her to a familiar landmark or even one of the other teams. Her only immediate worry was what remained of her precious water supply, but she decided that she would save it for as long as possible until there was no other choice. Despite being protected from the direct heat of the magma river by the edge of the gorge, she could tell that she would be in trouble if she stayed around for too long. After wiping the sweat from her brown with her stained sleeve, she set off along the track at a fast pace.

***

The dusty trail was litter with small pebbles and jagged stones. For the umpteenth time that day Seras found herself praising her marine-issue heavy combat boots. If nothing else, the UAC took care to outfit its troopers with the best equipment money could buy. The problem was just that most of the equipment did not seem to work well on UB427. Seras continued along the track for some distance and was rounding a sharp corner when she noticed some kind of opening in the cliff wall ahead.

Deciding to investigate a bit further, Seras took a few steps into the dark interior. She grabbed her flashlight, hoping that it would still work. With a quick flick of a finger a bright beam illuminated the darkness, dispelling some of her fears. She swiftly moved the light to reveal the deeper reaches of the cave. At the same time, she gripped her weapon firmly with her other hand, thankful that the rifle was secured around her neck with a leather strap. For a fleeting moment she wished for a piece of duct tape. It would certainly come in useful in her current predicament.

The cave stretched back into the cliff for some distance, but she could not be sure how far. An impenetrable gloom seemed to absorb most of the light, and she was hesitant to move in too deeply. She was about to step back outside when she heard a sound from somewhere within the cave. She turned her attention toward where she thought the sound originated, hoping to identify it. At first she could make out nothing, but has her hearing adjusted to the cave, an indistinct moaning reached her ears. She took a few strides deeper, and the moaning sound became even more pronounced.

Seras frowned. The moans sounded almost human. While it was her duty to investigate, she was not exactly overjoyed at the prospect of meeting the denizens of the cave. Taking a deep breath, she final decided to seek out the source of the sounds. She hoped that she would not have to go too far.

Fortune smiled on her. The gloom easily parted in front of her as she made her way through the featureless corridor. After passing a bend, she entered a roomy cavern. Seras gasped. The source of the anguished moans was lying in the middle of the cave floor.

It was the Captain. Or what seemed to be him. She could not be sure, the only real indications being the UAC logo on the man's uniform and his short greyish hair. He was lying face down in a pool of his own blood, wailing pathetically while clawing at his surroundings.

Deciding that it was indeed the Captain, Seras rushed over to his side.

"Captain!" she cried, taking a firm grip of his shoulders and shaking him slightly.

"Captain, it's me, Seras!" She could not tell if he heard her or not. "Please, sir, snap out of it!"

His pitiful cries continued unabated, hinting at unimaginable suffering. He did not seem to realize she was there. Seras was close to tears, but stubbornly refused to give up. With a strong pull she managed to turn him around so that she might look him in the eyes.

Only to discover that his eyes were gone, along with most of his face. His once handsome features were slashed into ribbons, a mess of deep cuts and heavy bruising. Blood flowed freely from his wounds, soaking his uniform and the ground all around. She gasped at the sight.

"No, Captain, not you too!" she cried, her grief causing her to temporarily lose control of herself. For a few moments she held him in her arms, twin streams of warmth running down her dirty cheeks. With supreme effort she shook herself from her stupor.

"I will not let it end here!" She yelled, lowering the Captain gently to the floor. "Don't you dare give in, do you hear me!" She quickly removed her backpack and searched for the portable first aid kit she knew to be inside. Finding it, she proceeded to inject the Captain with a dose of sedative, and proceeded to apply a field dressing to his wounds. His continued thrashing did little to ease the job, but finally she managed to complete her grim task.

At first the medication seemed to have little effect, but after a few minutes his flailing limbs calmed down and dropped lifeless to the ground. His screams decreased to barely a whimper.

Her face still filled with tears, Seras took a moment to inspect the rest of his body with her flashlight. While he was stained with blood from head to foot, he did not seem to have any other wounds. Seras quickly realized that she was covered in blood herself.

Come to think of it, she wondered, what type of monster could do such a thing? Nothing from her experience came to mind that could so completely destroy man's face. She once heard a story of how a grown lion tore a man to shreds, but she was pretty sure there were no lions on Mars, or anywhere close to UB427 for that matter. No use in wondering about it now, she thought. Better check on the Captain.

"Sir?" she softly asked. She did not expect him to be conscious, not with the damage he had suffered. However, her question caught his attention and he lightly gripped her left hand. A soft garbled sound poured from what remained of his lips. She bent her head closer to hear his words more clearly.

"Ser...as...lis...ten..." The words were heavily distorted, and it was obvious to her that he was in great pain from uttering them.

"Shh, hush now, sir. Save your strength. I'll get us both out of here, and you're going to be just fine." Seras' tears dried up, but she struggled to push back the sob forming at the back of her throat. The Captain paid her no heed. Instead, he again tried to speak.

"Impor...tant...you...lis...ten...Rem...em...ber." He gasped for breath, the pain of his wounds once again starting to catch up to him. Seras forced back another sob, and concentrated on his words.

"Bird...of...Hermes...my...name..."

Seras frowned at the cryptic statement, but continued to listen. The Captain's voice was growing softer by the second.

"Eating...my...wings...to...make...me...tame."

After these words he closed his lips. For a moment she thought he had said all he wanted to. But he continued, albeit painfully and barely discernible, as he uttered his final request.

"Ser...as...kill...me."

She stared at him, horrified at his words.

"No, sir! Never, sir!" She cried, grabbing hold of his shoulders once more, wishing she that he had not asked for such a thing. She buried her face in his chest, tears unashamedly cascading down her cheeks.

"Please...Ser...as..."

She raised her head to look at him, and for a moment she swore she could see the hint of his old smile adorn his disfigured lips.

"Plea...se..."

Choking back her tears, she silently rose to her feet. She could not deny him his last request. All that remained to him was a long, painful death. As much as it pained her to harm a fellow human being, it was nothing compared to the fate he faced.

After placing her flashlight down on the cave floor, Seras took hold of her rifle and raised it to her shoulder while taking aim. In the light his form looked so helpless, and she seriously doubted her ability to do what was asked of her. But she steeled herself, driving all thoughts from her mind and holding her breath steady.

She squeezed the trigger.

The bullet found its mark, and almost immediately the Captain's body became silent. The sound reverberated through the cavern, but Seras paid it no heed, instead falling to her knees beside him. Grief wracked her body. It was some time before she was able to rise again.

**Chapter 6**

Before leaving she noted that the Captain did not have possession of his weapons or backpack. However, his PDA was stuck firmly into one of his pockets, and Seras took a moment to give it a quick overview. She did not find much, but was able to download his security access codes without too much of a hassle. For some reason the security safeguards on the PDA was deactivated. Rather than worry about it, she decided to file it in the back of her mind for another day. She arranged the body as best she could. There was no use hoping to perform a decent burial. The cave floor was simply too hard and it was not possible to carry a corpse along the narrow cliff trail.

Seras stepped back into the outside world. It seemed like she had been away for an eternity, but in reality it was little more than an hour. As expected, the trail was no different since the last time she stood on it. But something in Seras was different. Burning beneath the surface was an intensity she experienced for the first time in her life. Hatred. It was the first time that her anger had turned into a feeling of absolute hatred. It was not even directed at anything specific, but rather at everything that UB427 represented. For a moment she would have given anything to see the place destroyed and forgotten, even at the cost of her own life. However, the moment quickly passed. It was not in her nature to hate anything, and it made her nervous to realize that she was capable of such thoughts.

Due to a lack of proper cleaning materials, she was unable to get rid of most of the blood staining her hands, face and uniform. Seras supposed she was quite a sight, but unfortunately her personal hygiene was the least of her worries at the moment. Taking a deep sigh, she proceeded along the track, hoping that it would not continue much further. Her thirst had not improved one iota while in the cave and she desperately hoped that she could find some help soon.

After carefully walking along the path for a few hundred meters, Seras saw that it ended some distance ahead. At first it seemed like she had reached a dead end, however, as she stepped a bit closer she could make out a narrow fissure opening in the cliff side some meters before the end of the trail. She moved towards it.

Examining the rocky cleft, she saw that it continued for some small distance before opening up. It would be slightly constricting, but she would be able to pass through it with all her equipment. Squeezing through fissure was easy, and after a few minutes she emerged an open area on the other side. Almost immediately, she noticed something unexpected.

A canteen, half way buried in the sand, was lying close to one of the rocky corridors leaving the place. Unable to restrain herself, she rushed to it and picked it up. The sound of splashing water emanated from the container, so she quickly unscrewed the top and took a quick sniff at the contents. Detecting nothing strange, Seras lifted the canteen to her lips and drank deeply from it. Enough water remained for her to slake her thirst.

After she drank her fill, she took a moment to examine the canteen. It was standard UAC marine issue, but how it ended up lost in the wild was a mystery. A small amount of water remained, so Seras decided to take it along.

Looking around, she noticed something glinting at the far end of the nearest passageway. Taking care to ready her weapon, she walked down the passage. Drawing closer, another element not native to her surroundings revealed itself. The end of the corridor and the open area beyond were littered with bullet casings, scattered about at random. What's more, they could not have been there for more than an hour or two, since she could still smell the gunpowder on them.

Examining the area, she noticed more empty casings lying along a track disappearing amongst some boulders. Her instincts cried out a warning, but she ignored them and decided to explore along the track in the hopes of finding the source of the discharged ammunition. The trail continued on for some time, twisting through the maze of rock and stone. Often, Seras would lose sight of the discharged casings, only to rediscover them after careful searching. It seemed that the number of casings where growing fewer the further she progressed.

Finally, the trail of casings ended altogether, but Seras barely paid it any heed. Up ahead she could make out the familiar form of Doctor Becker leaning on a rocky outcropping. His back was turned to her, and his arms were hanging lazily at his sides. His soiled white jacket was billowing slightly from some unnoticed draft. Overjoyed at the prospect of being reunited with one of her companions, Seras quickly jogged towards the Doctor.

"Doctor! Doctor Becker!" she cried, not caring whether he heard her or not.

When she reached the Doctor, she grabbed his left shoulder in the hopes of alerting him to her presence. However, her grasp did nothing more than to cause his body to topple lifelessly to the ground. Seras stared in shock. An image of the Captain lying face down, blood ceaselessly gushing from the gaping wounds on his face, came unbidden to her mind. She choked it back with a sob.

But she refused to panic like she did back in the cave. Gathering all her resolve, she knelt down beside the Doctor to examine him. She did not have to turn him around to see the deep gashes over his face and chest. He seemed to have suffered a fate similar to that of the Captain, but he was lucky enough to have died immediately. Seras frowned. Remarkably there was not a single drop of blood on his body or on the surrounding ground. The nature of the wounds indicated everything but a bloodless death, but there was absolutely none to be found. Even if he died somewhere else, surely there would have been some signs? It was almost as if his wounds were completely cauterised the instant they were made, but she could not detect any burn marks that would support such a theory.

Shaking her head, Seras rose up to her feet. She would have to leave the body for now and perhaps return later with help. However, the recent trail of corpses left her wondering about the chances of finding anyone else alive.

She looked around. Apart from the way she came, there was only one route not obstructed by large boulders or jagged protrusions. Sighing wearily, she marched off, for the moment not really caring where she would end up.

***

Seras stopped for a moment to wipe the sweat on her brow with her sleeve and drink the last few drops of water that remained in her canteen. She regretted not searching the dead Doctor for more, although she supposed it was unlikely that he possessed any. Crouching to pass beneath a rock protrusion arching across the track, Seras suddenly heard a scratching sound emanating from the wall up to the left. Not ready to take any chances, she readied her assault riffle and move cautiously forward. Casting furtive glances at both sides of the corridor, she made her way out from underneath the protrusion. The sound disappeared, but she did not let her guard down.

Suddenly, an ear splitting shriek reverberated through the passageway. It came from behind and above her. She was caught unaware as a powerful blow landed on her back, driving her to her knees. Momentarily stunned, she was helpless as two more blows struck her. Fortunately, her backpack absorbed most of the trauma, allowing her to avoid being skewered by the long claws anxiously tearing at her.

She desperately crawled forward, but a clawed hand gripped her backpack and started dragging her backwards. Quickly pulling her combat knife from the leather sheathe tied to her leg, she cut the straps of her backpack, allowing it to be pulled free. Seras swiftly turned around, dropping the knife and raising her assault rifle. She finally caught sight of her attacker, her jaw dropping stunned disbelief.

A multitude of black bulging eyes peered back at her. The creature was humanoid and entirely black, making it difficult to distinguish from the rocks in which it crouched. Rearing back on its hind legs, it opened its jaws and a resounding howl tore through the air. A thick slimy substance dripped from its lips, and Seras could make our sharp incisor-like teeth covering the insides of its mouth.

Seeing the creature ready itself to pounce, Seras shook herself out of her trance and opened fire with her weapon. The creature, however, was very agile and quickly jumped out of they way of the streaming projectiles. Seras cursed at her missed attempt. The creature was darting quickly towards her prone form, and she was unable to hit it.

Suddenly, the creature pounced, the long claws on its hands aimed at her unprotected face. Seras barely managed to roll to the side in time, the strike missing by millimetres. Jumping quickly to her feet, she looked over her shoulder to see the creature turning towards her once again. Seras realized that her clip was almost empty, all of its contents senselessly wasted by her panicked aim.

She quickly darted down a side passage, knowing that she would not have time to reload before the thing was once again upon her. She regretted having to leave her knife and backpack behind, but saw no real choice in the matter.

The creature was in hot pursuit. The sound of its howls hot on her heels made her put on an extra burst of speed. She blindly fired the last few rounds in her clip over her shoulder. She was rewarded what a sharp yelp, and was able to gain some ground as the beast stumbled in its pursuit. Alas, the wound did not seem very severe, and it darted after her with renewed vigour.

Seras ejected the spent clip from her rifle. Fumbling at her belt for a spare, she barely avoided a swipe from the beast, which was gaining some ground on her. She finally managed to slide a new clip into place and cocked her weapon.

The pursuit lasted only for a minute, but to Seras it seemed like hours. Deciding against firing at the creature again, she focussed on increasing her distance, thankful that she was unable to tire easily in this place. Seras knew that she would share the fate of the Captain and Doctor Becker should the creature get a hold of her.

The terrain suddenly opened up into a large flat area surrounded on all sides by hills. Seras immediately recognised the flagpole stuck to the centre of the clearing; it was the location where her team would have met up with Bravo Squad. Only, the entire area had been turned into a bloodbath. The corpses of the Bravo marines and scientists lay strewn about, and she could see another of the unknown creatures feeding on one of the corpses a little ways off.

Pushing the thought of her murdered team out of her mind, she quickly glanced back to determine the location of pursuer. With a jolt she realized the creature had jumped and was now rapidly approaching her exposed back. Reacting quickly, she dropped painfully to the ground, but at least the creature's strike missed her. Not waiting for a moment, she jumped up and took aim with her weapon. It had been caught unawares by her surprise tactic, and was still busy rising to its feet.

"Die!" Seras exclaimed while pulling the trigger. The burst of armour piercing round found their mark as the creature's head exploded in a gory mess.

Remembering the other fiend she saw earlier, she swiftly scanned the rest of the area. Unfortunately, she was too late, and could only watch as the hind legs of the beast disappeared through a hole between some boulders. Seras was alone again, at least for the moment. She knew that the escaped fiend, or more of its kind, could show up again at any moment. Deciding it would be best not to be around when that happened, but needing supplies, she speedily turned to search the terrain for anything useful.

At the sight of the gruesome remains stretched all around, she resigned herself to a bloody search. A kind of numb disbelief settled over her mind. Just a few hours ago she had been excitedly looking forward to the mission, but now the grim scenario before her mocked her earlier enthusiasm at every turn. But Seras was not one to give up hope so easily. She realized the importance of getting back to the Delta Labs to report on all that had passed. If she failed, future expeditions would doubtlessly meet a similar fate, or worse.

The lack of enemy bodies told much of how quickly the end came for Bravo Squad. Evidently, they were slain before they could rally any counterattack. Based on the carnage inflicted on the corpses and equipment, Seras doubted that the attackers numbered only one or two.

While moving among the bodies, she could not help but notice that many of them showed signs of being partially devoured. She stopped by a prone form that looked familiar. It was Madison, one of the members of her original Alpha Labs security detail. She did not know him very well due to his transfer to Delta Labs shortly after joining up. Still, she was somewhat shocked at seeing yet another familiar person brutalised in such a fashion. A savage blow had almost severed his head from his body. Seras was glad that his death was quick and relatively painless. Some of the others were not as fortunate.

Quickly bending down, she removed some of the hand grenades and spare clips from his belt and added them to her own. She despised the grenades, that being the main reason for her not taking any when the mission started out, but realized they might come in handy against her new adversaries. After replacing her lost combat knife with Madison's, she also found an intact backpack with some rations and a portable first aid kit. She donned it immediately. By scavenging all the canteens, she was able to fill one to the brim, with some water left to slake her thirst.

The next step was to find out how to get back to the entrance teleport. Scowling, Seras tried to think of the best way to do this. Her options were pretty limited. The compass was still useless and she was completely unfamiliar with the land marks on Bravo Squad's planned route. With a sudden burst of inspiration, she remembered that the leader of Bravo Squad, Chief Rickert, also possessed a map similar to the one carried by Doctor Williamson. It was a small hope, but maybe the map would assist her in finding her way.

Locating the map was an easy matter. It sat on a rocky outcropping close to the body of one of the scientists, who evidently had been using it before his untimely death. While not as precise as she would have liked, it did point out the major landmarks that she would need to follow. After a quick once-over, she folded the map and placed it in her vest pocket.

The sudden noise of loose stones warned her that she her time was up. A high-pitched shriek sounded from the surrounding heights, quickly followed by the appearance of two of the black fiends. They leaped down on opposite sides of the open terrain. The imps, however, were not her main worry. She watched incredulously as a new type of creature made its appearance over the rocky ridge. It looked like a giant, horribly deformed head, but she could not imagine what kind of creature such a head could come from. It floated through the air easily, opening its giant maw to reveal rows upon rows of sharp teeth. Two small colourless eyes adorned its face, and Seras wondered fleetingly how the thing could possible see with them.

Her moment of stunned surprise was, however, quickly cut short when a ball of fiery red plasma was launched from the creature's month and straight at her. She desperately dived to one side, death narrowly crackling past her head and disintegrating the corpse of a marine lying behind her.

Quickly glancing at the two black creatures, she was glad to see them paying her no attention for the moment. The smell of blood saturating the place must have temporarily driven them to feed rather than attack. But this would probably not last for very long. Taking advantage of their feeding frenzy, Seras quickly jumped to her feet and ran down the closest path between the rocky hills. Another ball of plasma narrowly missed her as she left, but she paid it no heed. However, she made a mental note to be careful of the devastating splash damage the blast could deliver. She did not run very far before the telltale shrieks of the humanoid beasts rose up behind her. They were now pursuing her as well.

Seras did not doubt her chances. These creatures were fast and strong, and also displayed an unexpected cunning in their beady eyes. It was unlikely that she would be able to overcome all three of them at once. Remembering her training, she realized that her only hope for survival was to retreat and take them out one at a time. Luckily, while she was between the rocks the flying fiend would have a hard time getting a clear shot at her. At the same time, however, the four-legged creatures could move more swiftly through the rough terrain, as she had discovered when she was attacked by the first one.

However, there was a way she could use the narrow corridors to her advantage. Slowing down slightly, she unclasped two of the grenades from her belt and held one in each hand. Her plan was to detonate both at the same time. Even if the explosion were not right underneath the fiends, the narrow corridor would carry it in a much wider radius, thus increasing the chance of damaging at least one of them. The demons were still far enough behind for the plan to be effective.

The grenades operated on six-second fuses. After a quick mental calculation, Seras pulled the pins on both grenades simultaneously, and tossed them to a spot behind her. She ran as fast as she could, since the blast or flying shrapnel could very well hit her too.

After a few seconds, a dull boom resounded through the corridor. Seras heard a high-pitched scream, telling her that the explosion injured or killed at least one of the beasts. For the moment she would assume they were both still chasing her. The floating creature remained out of sight.

Suddenly, a large black claw swung out at her from a cleft in the side of the corridor. Completely surprised, Seras could do nothing to avoid the blow. A searing pain erupted in her left shoulder, causing her to stumble and trip over the stones strewn about the ground. An anguished scream escaped her lips. She landed on her stomach, roughly hitting her jaw against the ground. She barely felt it, though. Her shoulder was on fire, the intense pain bringing tears to her eyes. She could feel her blood soaking through her vest and running down her arm and back.

The creature - satisfied that its prey was no longer a danger - slowly walked up to her writhing form. Seras could hear it's hissing close to her left ear, and felt its rough tongue painfully licking at her wound, leaving behind a disgusting slimy substance. As soon as it made contact with her flesh, a burning heat enveloped the wound, drawing another painful scream from her throat.

The monster seemed to take delight in her suffering. For a brief moment Seras wondered how long the thing would keep her alive and in pain before finally devouring her flesh. She cursed her own arrogance. If she had proceeded more cautiously she might have realized that at least one of the beasts would try to cut her off. In hindsight it was very foolish not to grasp that their awareness of the geography of the area was probably much better than hers.

Powerful claws gripped her firmly around the neck, and she was unceremoniously hoisted into the air, her lungs cut off from their much-needed supply of oxygen. The creature stared into her eyes. The malevolence it openly displayed sent a bolt of terror down her spine.

Desperately clawing at the powerful arms cutting off her oxygen, Seras tried to come up with a plan. She tried to reach for her weapon, but it lay uselessly on the ground, the strap around her neck having broken during her fall. She considered going for her knife or even pulling the pin on another grenade, but for some reason her body would no longer respond to her commands. Black spots started dancing in her vision as her sight started to go dark.

Seras knew then that she was about to die.

But she refused to submit or give up. Fighting back the tears streaming down her face, she opened her eyes and as her one last defiant act stared the fiend straight in the eyes.

Or she would have, if it still possessed any. Seras stared in bewilderment at the place where the creature's head used to be. Almost at the same time, the grip around her neck was released, and her body fell to the ground painfully. The corpse of her attacker toppled backward and lay still.

While gasping for air and massaging her sore throat, she looked around for the source of her rescue. Her aching shoulder would have to wait for a moment. She did not have far to look. Some distance away, too far too recognise, Seras could see a soldier standing, his gun still raised in her direction. He was too far away for her to recognise.

Unable to cry out for the moment, she rose to her feet and waved her hands in the air, hoping that he would notice she was no threat. The last thing she wanted was to be shot by her would-be saviour. But the man simply stood there, not lowering his weapon, but also not firing. He seemed to ignore her frantic waving completely.

After a few minutes Seras recovered enough of her voice to cry out to him.

"Don't shoot, I'm unarmed!"

He showed no reaction.

"I'm wounded and desperately need some help! You're from Bravo team, right?"

Finally, it seemed he got the message. He lowered his weapon, but made no attempt to move towards her or to offer any assistance. Seras was becoming slightly angry. She was being ungrateful, she knew, but the latest horrifying sequence of events left her with very little patience. She painfully picked her rifle up from the ground and started walking towards him.

The man also turned around and started walking at a pace to match hers. Thinking that he was trying to get away, Seras increased her pace to a trot, pressing down on her shoulder wound with her free hand in an attempt to staunch the bleeding. Strangely enough, the man increased his pace to again match hers. She effectively did not gain any ground on him, and was still not aware who he might be. But she resolved that she would not give up the chase until she caught up to him.

The bizarre chase continued. The man seemed to have no intention of leaving her, but also would not allow her to catch up. He led her through the twisting maze of passages, carefully selecting a route that would keep them clear from the fiend still circling the skies.

**Chapter 7**

They travelled for a while until at last they emerged from the maze of hills into a much larger open area filled with bubbling pools of unknown liquid. Keeping an eye out for anything moving in the sky, Seras continued following her odd benefactor as he made his way amongst the pools. The landscape around the pools was grey and desolate. There was little cover available, and Seras hoped that she would not need some anytime soon. The man seemed to know the terrain well, never hesitating in his step. She realized that he was probably leading her somewhere, but she could not imagine why.

She was not willing to trust him completely, even if he was her saviour. She was grateful to him, but the odd happenings in the place made her wary of almost everything around her. Seras held no delusions about how trust could become a deadly blade in the hands of a cunning enemy. But the man seemed to mean her no harm, so she was content to follow him for the moment.

***

They had covered quite a distance and were approaching a large hill. It seemed to be the only piece of high ground on the barren plain for as far as she could see, but she could not be entirely sure due to the perpetual red haze that remained in the sky. The hill was featureless, but Seras noticed a large cave at its base. The man was heading towards it. Remembering her last experience within a cave, Seras dreaded what she would find in this one. But after having come so far, she would not stop now.

The surrounding terrain mostly remained unchanged and pools of various sizes dotted the landscape for as far as she could see. Except for the sounds of her own footsteps it was very quiet. Something struck her as particularly strange. There was absolutely no plant life to be seen anywhere. Come to think of it, she had not seen any signs of vegetation at all since stepping through the teleporter. Even Delta Labs possess more flora than UB427, and that was saying something! Another thing that bothered her was the fact that almost all of the organic life she had so far encountered had been repeatedly trying to kill her.

Regarding the peculiar behaviour of her ally, Seras grew no closer to understanding him. His identity remained very much a mystery, but not for lack of trying on her part. Not for a single moment did he allow her to close the gap between them. His movements were completely tied to hers; he would stop when she did, only to resume at a matching pace whenever she marched on. Her attempts to communicate with him yielded no answers. At one point she purposefully moved to the side to allow a narrow ridge with a sharp incline to obscure the direct line of sight between them. As soon as he was out of sight, she rushed forward, hoping to catch up to him while he was unaware. Unfortunately, when she reached the top of the ridge, she noticed him patiently waiting for her at the usual distance. His ability to maintain their distance perfectly was uncanny.

The pain in her left shoulder decreased to a dull throb. She had lost a good deal of blood, but strangely did not feel very tired or light-headed. She stopped for a few minutes to examine and treat the wound. Three long gashes stretched down from her shoulder to her midriff, but luckily her vital organs and muscles remained relatively intact. It would be a while before she could arm wrestle again, but all in all she was thankful of still being alive. After disinfecting and bandaging her shoulder with her first aid kit, she moved on again. Her silent companion waited patiently for her while she busied herself.

They were almost to the hill when a deep roar thundered around the landscape. Spinning around quickly, Seras was horrified at the sight of the floating demon rapidly approach her position. Evidently it was still very eager to give chase. Cursing her luck, she unclipped the safety on her assault rifle and started to run towards the cave entrance. As she watched, the dark opening of the hillside passage swallowed the man whole. It seemed unlikely that he would offer much aid in the coming fight.

The lack of cover was her greatest concern. From experience she knew that the monster would start firing its balls of plasma soon. Although the projectiles were slow moving, their area damage was quite severe. Turning around, she fired off a burst at the oncoming monster, but it proved to be futile. Intense pain wrecked her body as the kickback of the powerful assault rifle tore mercilessly at her damaged left arm, and she was forced to cease her firing. Although she was right handed, it was simply not possible to accurately aim such a weapon without the support of her left arm. Groaning in dismay, Seras lowered the weapon and resumed her flight towards the cave.

Luckily, she did not have far to go. The cave opening was very large, but the rocks strewn about its entrance offered excellent protection when finally the beast started firing its plasma at her retreating form. Not wasting time to consider her surroundings, Seras immediately plunged into the cave darkness, switching her flashlight on as she ran.

The flying fiend would have more than enough room to also enter the cave, and Seras doubted it would abandon its meal so late in the game. While the more constricted space would allow it less space to manoeuvre, the danger from its plasma attack would also be much more profound.

The dark passage continued deeper into the cave. Seras was surprised at its smoothly hewn sides. Clearly, the passage had been cut from the rocks, providing enough space for at least five men to comfortably walk side by side. The shrieking behind her informed her that the monster was also inside the cave and catching up to her. Not daring to look back, Seras focused on redoubling her efforts. With a renewed burst of speed she dashed further down the corridor.

The chase continued. Seras noticed that the stone passageway sloped gradually downwards, leading her deeper into the earth. The beam of her flashlight bounced around wildly, making it difficult for her to make out the contents of the darkness ahead. More than once she almost crashed into the passage wall due to unexpectedly sharp curves, but luckily she managed to always redirect herself just in time.

The demon chasing her was not doing as well. Its larger mass left little room to manoeuvre and it was having some difficulty navigating. The low ceiling served to constrict its movements, leaving it unable to close in on her despite being much faster. Her smaller frame allowed her to make much quicker progress. Ever so often she would hear the beast snarl as it hit the side of the winding passageway.

She considered using her remaining grenades to set a trap for it, but decided against the idea. There was no telling how the shockwave would affect the passage. The last thing she needed was to be trapped behind a collapsed tunnel. No way was she going to trust that the passage ultimately led back to the surface.

Of the man she had been following there was no sign. Seras was unsure if he was running up ahead, out of sight and hearing, but due to her own pressing problems paid the question no further mind.

Despite her boosted stamina, Seras was beginning to tire. Her breath came in short gasps, and her legs were starting to feel numb. The events outside, followed by the trek across the waste, did not allow her much of a chance to rest, and the effects where now starting to accumulate rapidly.

Without warning, the passage opened up into an immense cavern. A winding track ran downward into a deep hollow. Seras could not see the far side of the cavern, it being hidden from view by a tall structure located in the centre.

Unable to examine her new surroundings in detail, Seras raced down the path and towards the building. The flying creature would exit the tunnel soon and take to the air, meaning that it would once more be able to pursue her without constraint. She prayed that she would reach the structure before it could fire more plasma at her.

Suddenly, a terrified yell emanated from behind her. Her quick backward glance was just in time to see the beast speedily disappearing into the dark opening of the passage. Evidently it was no longer keen on giving chase for some reason. Slowing down to a walk, she regarded the passage with a frown. Just a minute ago the creature had pursued her mercilessly, devoid of concern for its own wellbeing, but from the sounds she could hear it was now skulking close to the passage exist, not daring to enter the cavern.

Despite this odd behaviour, Seras exhaled a breath of relief. It seemed that she had been given a temporary reprieve. However, she was not about the completely trust her strange fortune, and kept a weary eye on the passage as she made her way down the track.

She could still hear the beast wailing inside, and supposed that there was little chance of escape that way. The moment anyone set foot inside the passage they would surely be painfully obliterated. With her present equipment and condition she could not be sure of triumph without injuring herself further.

As she walked onward, Seras was suddenly surprised by a screeching howl close by. Twirling about to face the new enemy, she sighed with relief at seeing a large cloud of gas being expelled by a vent in the cavern floor. Taking a look around, she realized that the cavern was dotted with similar vents. Every few seconds one of them would release a small cloud of gas. The sounds of these emissions were quite unnerving, however, and Seras decided to give them a wide berth. There was no point in hoping that the colourless gas would be beneficial to her health.

The cavern itself was not as dark as she expected, that being the reason why she could see the large structure in the centre. Some kind of glowing fungus grew high up on the cave walls. There was a lot of it scattered around. The fungus emitted a soft white light strong enough to gently illuminate the entire cavern. With a small gasp Seras realized that she was possibly the first person to discover evidence of plant life on UB427.

Unlike the hillside passage, the cave looked like a natural underground formation. Except for the building, the place seemed undisturbed by technology and civilisation. In addition to the vents, the floor was also littered with shards of rock and other large protrusions, but for the most part it remained relatively flat.

Pausing to peek behind her, Seras noticed that the passage exit was now covered in murk and no longer clearly visible. She saw no sign of the flying beast, although it was probably cowering somewhere within. With any luck it would not bother again, but she decided to remain alert just in case.

She took the opportunity to regain her breath. Looking ahead at the large building, she hoped that it would afford her a safer resting place. Possibly she would also be able to catch up with her vanished ally again. His mysterious disappearance after entering the hillside passage did not sit well with her at all.

A few minutes later she was standing in front of the structure. It was a bit larger than she had first though, and looked like some sort of temple. A long staircase led up to the summit, where she could make out the shape of a gigantic doorway. Either side of the stairs were adorned with large stone statues that looked like huge disfigured birds. Seras did not recognise the beasts, and decided to hurry onward quickly.

She was about to place her right foot on the first step when the burst of a machine gun suddenly rang out. A series of bullets hit the ground close by her feet. Yelling out in surprise, she quickly dove to one side to avoid the rest of the incoming fire.

"Stop!" she screamed. "Bloody hold you fire!"

She landed roughly on the floor close by the stairs, her injured shoulder striking painfully against the first step. She cried out in agony, all thoughts of her attacker temporarily driven from her mind. Fortune was on her side, however, as the hail of bullets stopped.

"Seras! Is that you?" The voice was uncertain, but quickly become confident. "Hot damn, I though you were dead! Holy shit!"

The voice quickly approached her position. Groaning angrily, she stood up while readying herself to beat its owner to a pulp. Her expression must have shown as much, because the person wavered a few feet away.

"Shit, sorry there, Seras! I though you were one of those damn black beasts. The lights in this cave ain't worth crap!"

Finally getting a look at her attacker as he stepped closer, she was rewarded by the scarred visage of Cortez grinning sheepishly.

"Sorry? I've been hunted like a piece of meat the entire day, and all you can say is sorry?" Seras was not in a happy mood. "You asshole!"

Cortez was taken aback by her harsh words, not being used to hearing them uttered by her.

"Look, I said sorry, didn't I? Geez, just calm the hell down."

Seras sighed deeply. She felt like hitting him, but realized their continued bickering would not solve anything. They were still stranded in hostile territory, and now was the time to combine their strength. Actually, she was bit relieved at having finally met up with another living person.

Seeing that she had cooled off a bit, Cortez stepped a little closer. His face looked haggard, his scars adding to her impression that he had aged significantly during the last few hours. At least he remained uninjured for the most part. The pain in her shoulder having receded, Seras heavily sat down on one of the steps. Cortez joined her.

"How did you get here, Cortez?" Her curiosity was piqued at the possibility of finding out what happened to him after their separation. "I had twenty kinds of hell on the way, and yet here you are, all rosy and fresh."

Cortez grimaced. He seemed to have difficulty finding the right words, not that Seras could blame him. She was also hesitant to talk about her own experiences.

"It's not like that!" he finally responded. "After that earthquake, we were attacked by those ... those things."

Cortez sighed and brushed his right hand over his hair.

"To tell the truth, I have no idea how I got away. One moment all hell was breaking loose, the next I was rushing head long down a passage, one of those beasts hot on my ass."

Seras shivered, the memory of being chased and tortured still fresh in her memory. Cortez noticed, but thankfully decided not to ask. He had obviously noticed her wounds and decided against increasing her discomfort.

"I knew I was going to die. The thing's claws were missing my back by millimetres, but I knew it would not last."

He folded his hands together over his legs. His voice suddenly sounded very quiet. Seras almost could not make out his next words.

"I can't clearly remember what happened next, but ... I was suddenly tossed to the ground by a powerful force. A split second later the beast flew past, carried forward by it's momentum."

Cortez looked her in the eyes.

"I don't know how I survived such a fall without injury, but I am glad it happened. You see, a few steps ahead the corridor made a sharp turn, and in my frantic attempt to escape I did not notice that it ended in a deep chasm."

He gave a humourless chuckle.

"You should have seen it, Seras. It blended in almost completely with the surrounding rocks. Kinda reminds me of one of those old Indiana Jones movies my grandfather used to watch."

Cortez's expression was suddenly serious again.

"I remember hearing the beast's wild screams as its weight carried it over the edge. I'll remember those screams for the rest of my life. Strange, don't you think? That I would care so much about it? Am I going insane?"

Bitter sobs wrecked through his body, his head held between his hands. It was painful to see him like this. He was paranoid by nature, but never allowed it to interfere with his work. Seras placed a hand on his shoulder. There was not much else she could do. She was caught up in her own horrors, the sights, sounds and pain rushing through her mind, forcing her to relive them over and over again. It was only with great difficulty that she managed to choke back most of her own misery.

Both of them sat in silence for a while, caught up in their own thoughts.

***

Cortez was the first to break the silence.

"So, should I ask how you ended up here, Seras?"

Some of his earlier spark had returned and she was glad to see him shake off his depression. He stood up to stretch his legs.

"And dare I have just a tiny teensy weensy hope that you have a plan to get us out of this godforsaken place?"

The latter sounded more like a rhetorical question. He was underestimating her, and Seras fumed at the thought.

"Well, Cortez, if you hadn't kept on running from me, we would have been out of here by now."

He stared back at her in confusion.

"But no, you just had to go on your little traipse to explore the wastes, didn't you," she continued.

"Now hold on just a minute, sweets!" he voiced angrily. "I don't know when you saw me, but I sure as hell have not laid my eyes on you since the cavern!"

"Do you mean to tell me this is our first meeting since the morning?"

"Yes!" he cried out. "For crying out loud, what the heck are you going on about?"

"I followed a man here," Seras replied. "He shot one of the beasts that were attacking me, and then I followed him all the way here. That wasn't you?"

"No!"

Cortez's face assumed a bewildered look. He opened his mouth as if to say something more, but hesitated for some reason.

"But how is that possible?" Seras was too confused to notice his apprehensive state. "Everyone besides you and me are dead! It must have been you!"

"It wasn't me!" Cortez shouted. A moment passed while both of them stared at each other. Sighing loudly, he then continued in a more subdued manner.

"I didn't want to say this, because I'm not really sure about it myself, but here goes anyway."

He started to walk up and down between the two statues.

"To tell you the truth, I was also led here by a man. One that looked a lot like the Captain."

Seras stared at him in surprise.

"But that can't be! I held the Captain's bleeding body in my hands. There's no way he could have been here!"

"Now that you say it, I know, but that doesn't change the fact! The Cap is the only one of us with grey hair and a military uniform!"

Cortez stopped his pacing, a haunted expression appearing on his face. Seras recognised the look. It was one she was becoming all too used to.

"Anyway, I noticed something very strange about the guy," Cortez continued. "No matter how much I tried, I could never get close to him. He was anticipating my every move. I could roughly make out his features, he definitely resembled the Cap, but I could never make out for certain."

Seras thought for a moment. Cortez's description fit her observations of the unknown man perfectly, only she could not recognise him at all. Something nagged at the back of her mind, but she could not quite put her finger on it. Now that she thought about it, the man had seemed somehow familiar in a distant sort of way. But he definitely did not resemble anyone she knew. Groaning with irritation, Seras rose back to her feet and dusted off her rear absentmindedly.

"No use sitting here in the hopes of figuring it out, I suppose," she said. "I hope you know of another tunnel out of here, cause there's no way we're gonna get out the way I came. Something nasty is waiting at the other end."

Cortez looked at her in dismay.

"You're joking right? I've made my way around the entire cavern, but the only way out is that one over yonder."

He pointed in the direction of the passage that had been Seras' entryway into the cavern. She scowled.

"Well that's just great! I suppose our only hope is to check the temple. If we can get out of here, I've got a map, so we can probably find our way back to the teleport by retracing our steps."

For a change a genuine smile crossed Cortez's lips.

"No shit!" he exclaimed. "Good work, Seras! There's some hope for you yet."

Seras, being more familiar with this type of address from her teammates, blushed slightly from the praise.

"Stop that!" she shouted. She turned away from him, pouting slightly.

"Aw heck, don't be so uptight." A thoughtful look crossed his face. "Then again, be as uptight as you want. I need you ready for anything. We're not out of this by a long shot."

He resumed his serious tone and busied himself by scanning their surroundings. The moment having passed, Seras turned around and started to climb up the stairs. After a few moments he followed.

**Chapter 8**

They did not say much during their ascent. The cavern was deathly quiet, except for the gas vents going off every few moments. Seras concentrated on the examining the temple.

More statues were evenly spaced along either side of the long staircase. She could not recognize any of the creatures depicted by the stone shapes, but noticed with a chill that they were all wailing in anguish.

Half way up the stairs they made another shocking discovery. It was a statue depicting one of multi-eyed humanoid beasts. But the creature in the stone was anything but the vicious monster that had not too long ago delighted in Seras' torture. The stone creature was kneeling down as if in front of some greater being, its claws tearing at its face. Large gaping holes were all that remained of its eyes. Its jaw was open as if in a perpetual scream, its jaws either broken or missing.

"This is one sick place, huh." Cortez tried to make light of it, but his voice gave away his anxiety. He did not linger, instead hurrying quickly up the stairs.

Seras did not say anything as she followed him, but silently she agreed. This place, this entire world was sick all right, but not just that. It was hell.

While the other statues displayed similar ghastly scenes, they were mostly unrecognisable and the two of them made it to the top without further interruption. A huge ancient stone doorway that stretched up almost to the ceiling greeted them. Seras remembered seeing similar doors in cathedrals back on earth, but these doors did not emit any kind of harmony. Instead, she distinctly felt uneasy looking at them, as if something evil was emanating from behind them.

Two ancient tablets stood at either sides of the door. Like the stone floor, the tablets were covered in a thick layer of dust. It was obvious that the place had remained undisturbed in a very long time.

While Cortez kept guard at the top of the stairs, Seras moved forward to examine the double doors more closely. As she neared the tablets, she noticed that both of them were covered in tiny scratches. Turning on her flashlight, she waved it over the closest tablet to get a clearer view.

As she suspected, the tablet was adorned with a vast array of tiny scrawled words. Time had not been kind and many areas were worn almost completely away, making them unreadable. Not that it mattered. Seras was no linguist, but she doubted she would have been able to identify the language even if she was. The letters did not come from any alphabet she had ever seen, but she guessed it was a moot point. Deciding not to waste any more time, she proceeded to the huge stone doors.

The doors were joined almost seamlessly in the middle. The only evidence of there being two was a thin line running down the middle. Both doors were completely devoid of features. How they opened remained a mystery. Seras could see no hinges or gears that could be used to swing or raise the doors, which made her wonder if perhaps they were supposed to sink into the floor. Regardless, she had no idea how to open them. Careful inspection of the stone surface for as far as she could reach did not reveal any hints. She even examined both stone tablets in the hopes of find some hidden clue, but the tablets were unwilling to part with their mysteries.

Dreading what she was about to do next, Seras steeled herself. Placing both her hands on the right hand door, she pushed with all her might.

Nothing happened.

Seras quietly reprimanded herself for her unfounded fears. While she was not really sure about what to expect, she had kind of hoped that things would be easy for once. "No dice," she groaned in exasperation. Again she tried to push the stone door, but it refused to budge even an inch.

However, her efforts were not entirely unfruitful. As if drawn by an invisible quill, a sequence of dull red characters appeared at about eye level on the door. The characters looked similar those on the tablets.

Seras stared at the symbols with interest. They were completely fused with the door, almost as if they were a natural part of it. By some trick of the light it seemed as if they were skittering back and forth on the hard stone surface, as if trying to draw her attention.

"What's that you got there, Seras?"

Cortez had understandably grown tired of waiting, and was now peering over her shoulder at the strange text. She was so deeply engaged in her thoughts that she missed his approach. His sudden presence startled her for a moment, but she did not show it.

"Uh, you tell me. Want to guess how it is supposed to get these doors open?"

She barely finished her sentence when the phrase on the door quickly faded away, as if seeping into the stone. However, a moment later a new string of text appeared to replace the old. Remarkably, it was written in English.

"Huh?" they both uttered intelligibly.

Paying no heed to Cortez's dumbfounded expression and a bit embarrassed at her own, Seras quickly scanned the new phrase. Her eyes widened as she read.

"The bird of Hermes is my name."

The sentence was simple and did not mean much at first, but she had heard something similar before. It was not a memory she was keen on reliving. The Captain had uttered it as he lay dying in her arms. At the time she did not pay much attention to it, even though he had been adamant that she listen. Afterwards, it completely slipped her mind. After reading the phrase, however, the memory rushed back. She remembered the second part of the phrase uttered by the Captain. Like the first, it was something she could recall clearly.

"Eating my wings to make me tame," she softly whispered to herself, as if testing the words. Cortez, who stood close by, heard her.

"You say something, Seras?"

Paying him no mind, Seras repeated the entire expression. She spoke the words loud and clear, unsure of what good it would actually do, but certain that the Captain tried to tell her something important during his final moments, something that he absolutely wanted her to know.

"The bird of Hermes is my name, eating my wings to make me tame."

Almost a soon as she uttered the last word, the letters on the door dissolved again. They were soon replaced with new lines of text.

In the Sea withouten lesse,

Standeth the Bird of Hermes,

Eating his Wings variable,

And thereby maketh himself more stable;

When all his Fethers be agon,

He standeth still there as a stone;

Here is now both White and Red,

And also the Stone to quicken the dead,

All and sume withouten fable,

Both hard, and nesh and malliable

Understand now well aright,

And thanke God of this sight.

As soon as Seras finished reading the piece, she heard the scraping sound of stone moving on stone emanating from the left hand door. As she watches, s small section of the stone shifted to one side to reveal a small rounded receptacle.

"Is that even English? Bird of Hermes? What the hell?"

After also studying the text, Cortez looked more confused than ever. He would be of little help with the puzzle, although she was not exactly making major breakthroughs either.

The message was obviously some kind of puzzle, but she was unsure how it related to their current predicament. The only real clue she could think of was the empty receptacle on the opposite door, but it did not offer much assistance. She wondered if the items mentioned in some way related to the puzzle. References to birds, wings, feathers, something white and red, and a stone all seemed to spin around her head, but there was little possibility of finding any of them given their location. She seriously doubted that any old pebble could fulfil the role of the stone referred to by the text. Thinking about it, Seras realized that there was little chance of them solving it on their own. The ancient words stared mockingly down at her, and she was suddenly tempted to toss one of her grenades at the doorway.

Unexpectedly, her left shoulder was grabbed roughly from behind and she was tossed unceremoniously to the ground. She gasped as painful jolts danced about her shoulder, but the shock of seeing a ball of red plasma passing over her head swiftly pushed the pain to the back of the mind. The plasma exploded against one of the stone tablets, but luckily she was far enough away to avoid the area damage.

"Incoming!" Cortez shouted, grabbing her right arm and violently dragging her down the steps. Another fiery ball missed them by centimetres. Horrified, Seras saw the revolting form of the beast that had chased her into the cave flying through the air some distance away. It was tracking their movements, readying itself for another strike.

"Bloody hell! What is that damn thing?"

Cortez was shouting, paying little attention to the terrain or her aching shoulder as he roughly pulled her further down the steps.

"Cortez, let go!" Seras yelled, trying to tear his hand from her arm. He let go almost immediately.

She quickly jumped to her feet, gripped her assault rifle and took aim at the oncoming beast. Cortez did the same while moving further down the steps. The statues lining the stairs afforded them some measure of cover as long as the monster did not fly directly overhead, but Seras doubted that the stone would withstanding the plasma assault for long. She desperately hoped that the thing would be vulnerable to bullets.

The explosion of a blast against one of the statues almost rocked her off her feet. In dismay she saw it immediately crumble and disintegrate.

"Cortez!"

He was crouched low behind a particularly large statue, and turned upon hearing her voice.

"Cortez, start shooting already, dammit!"

Seras started firing off one burst after another. However, the creature was flying about erratically and the murky cavern made her unsure about the level of real damage she was inflicting. Based on the guttural cries of the beast her aim was at least not completely off.

Her left arm was being painfully jolted, but she did not have a choice in the matter. She would simply have to put up with it until the creature was dead. Biting back the pain, she continued firing. Cortez was also firing at the beast, taking careful aim from behind a different statue. Using his weapon to great effect, he sent hail upon hail of bullets flying straight into the huge maw of the fiend. The thing howled in anger and suddenly flew directly at them.

"Oh shit! If it gets above us we're toast! Run, Seras!"

They took off up the stairs, hoping that the tablets at the top would provide at least some cover. The monster was rapidly gaining on them, flying in a zig-zag pattern. They were running over the last step when the beast launched another ball of plasma at them. Seras caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of her eye and managed to dive to one side. Trying to cry out a warning to Cortez, she watched in horror as the plasma exploded on the stone floor behind him.

He was luckily not directly caught in the blast. However, as if in slow motion, she saw pieces of scattering plasma strike the right-hand side of his body, burning away his combat armour and tearing at the defenceless flesh underneath.

Cortez's anguished scream was short-lived as the blast lifted him clear of his feet. He flew through the air like a ragged doll, hitting the stone doorway painfully. After sliding down to the ground, his sprawling form did not rise again.

Staring at the body, an intense feeling of anger and hatred consumed Seras. An animalistic growl escaped her lips. She quickly scanned the terrain, and saw the fiend readying another projectile while hovering low in the air close by. Without a though to her own safety, she dashed towards it while firing her weapon, intent on taking it head-on. The beast seemed surprised by the roar emanating from her throat and the sudden close-up violent assault. It seemed to falter for a second, but Seras did not hesitate in her stride. She would not be satisfied until the thing lay dead at her feet.

Closing in on the beast, she suddenly realized her clip was empty. Letting go of the rifle, she quickly crouched down and withdrew her combat knife.

The fiend recovered itself and fired a ball of plasma at her, but she was already moving again and easily dodged around it. She reached the beast before it could take off into the air. Gripping the knife tightly in both her hands, she plunged it as deep as she could into one of its small red eyes. It wailed in anguish and writhed around frantically, but Seras stubbornly maintained her hold.

After a few seconds the beast sagged to the ground. Ignoring its screaming, Seras took the opportunity to quickly rip out her knife and plunge it up to the hilt into the other eye. The beast whimpered and fell to the ground. But Seras' bloodlust drove her on. She continued to plunge her long blade repeatedly into the soft body of the monster, her loud battle cry echoing through the expanse of the cavern. She did not stop until long after the creature was dead.

Covered from head to foot in the fiend's red blood, Seras stepped away. Looking at her blood soaked hands in disbelief, she was about to collapse onto the ground, but quickly remembered about her downed companion. She would worry about her personal demons later.

She hurried over to his prone form, afraid of what she might find. The rapid beat of her heart let up a bit when she heard his agonised moans. At least he was still alive. Silently kneeling beside him, she quickly removed her backpack and extracted her first aid kit.

"Cortez, can you hear me?" she asked, gently taking hold of him to turn him around. He groaned loudly at her touch.

Deciding not to move him for the moment, Seras examined his wounds more closely. As she expected, the right-hand side of his torso and thighs were covered in massive burns. He was bleeding from his right arm. Upon closer inspection she discovered that some of his flesh had simply been torn away or melted by the passing plasma. Fate smiled on him, though, as none of the wounds were very deep. It would be painful, but at least his life was in no immediate danger.

Seras quickly started to dress the wounds as best she could. After much difficulty she managed to get his body armour off, allowing her to cut and tear away the obstructing parts of his vest underneath. Lacking anything she could treat the chemical burns with, she decided to simply apply a generous amount of disinfectant. Enough bandages remained for her to bind most of the major wounds on his body.

Seras sat back wearily. Despite the lack of sedatives, Cortez seemed to calm down as his breathing grew less laborious. She could tell that he was sound asleep. The hideous corpse was still oozing nearby, a small stream of its blood trickling down the stairway. She was unsure why it came after her again, remembering quite well the beast's earlier fearful display. Regardless, if it could do so, more monsters would probably show up soon. Not wishing to take the chance, Seras stood up and returned her attention to the door puzzle.

The empty receptacle remained empty and unhelpful. Seras moved closer to it for a better look. Inside was a rounded base, almost giving it the appearance of a font. With a tired sigh, Seras traced a finger across the hollow depression.

Suddenly, she noticed something strange. She was still covered by the dead fiend's blood, some of it dripping down her extended arm and into the basin. However, the droplets vanished as quickly as they appeared, as if they were being swallowed by the stone.

Deciding to experiment, Seras cut a short piece of bandage and dipped it into the pool of blood surrounding the dead beast. The placed the bloody mess into the receptacle.

She did not have long to wait. The stone speedily absorbed the blood. Nothing was left behind, not even the bandage. Just as she was about to fetch more of the dark liquid, a tremor ran through the ground and up her legs. From deep beneath the stonework she heard a high-pitched screeching that quickly increased in volume. However, it lasted only for a few moments before ending abruptly. The whining of ancient gears, unaccustomed to use, soon followed.

The huge stone doors slowly started to swing inwards.

The moment the airtight seal between the doors broke, Seras suddenly found herself accosted by a strong wind as air rushed inward to fill the newly opened vacuum. While her blonde hair wildly billowed around her head, Seras shielded her face behind her arms to avoid the onrush of sand and dust accompanying the wind. Focusing on Cortez's prone form, she carefully made her way over to his side and gripped his uninjured left arm. With some effort she managed to drag his comatose body behind one of the large stone tablets that offered much better protection from the gale.

Seras used the chance to rest her fatigued body, hoping that the sound of the wind would not draw any further unwanted attention.

**Chapter 9**

She opened her eyes. At first glance her situation seemed pretty much the same as before, but she did notice three things. The first was that the strong gale had ended, replaced by an eerie silence marred only by the occasional eruption from a vent somewhere else in the cavern. The second was that the doorway was now completely open. Thirdly, Cortez was sitting up with his back to the tablet, watching her casually.

"Good of you to finally join me, Seras," he said. She could detect some strain in his voice, but he seemed to have recovered some of his old spirit. She stood up to stretch her legs.

"Wow, how long was I asleep?" She had not intended to doze off, but the continuous stress on her mind had left her fatigued and in need of rest, despite her unnatural physical vigour. She silently scolded herself for the lapse. Cortez did not seem to mind, though.

"Not very long. I awoke only a few minutes ago, myself. You did a pretty good job with the dressing. Still hurts like hell, but at least I'm alive."

She gave him a quick once-over and realized that his arm dressings would soon need replacing. Other than that he seemed all right.

"Do you have any more bandages?" she asked.

Her remaining supply did not leave nearly enough to replace the dirty ones covering most of his arm.

"Sorry, but I'm all out."

He inspected his arm and torso wounds as well, and realized the problem. However, he could do little more than groan and shake his head.

"I'll just have to make do without," he finished.

Sighing heavily, Seras walked up to the open doors and peered inside. It was a bit dark, but she could make out a large empty chamber with exists to either side. Returning to Cortez, she offered him her right hand.

"Come on, maybe we'll find something useable inside. We'll just have to move carefully."

Realising that his other option was to stay alone outside, Cortez took her up on her offer. She managed to pull him to his feet, but could see that he was holding back a painful yell.

"Just keep your right arm pressed against your body and let me worry about the rest," she said, swinging his left arm over her shoulder. Fortunately, her own wound did not hurt as much any more and she was able to accommodate him without too much difficulty.

After a brief stop to collect his discarded assault rifle, they slowly made their way into the structure. Seras turned on her flashlight and held it steady with her left hand. Since her right arm was supporting Cortez, she could not ready her weapon, a fact that she found very bothersome.

"So, Cortez, left or right?" she asked.

"How 'bout down?" he responded, shaking his head toward some kind of depression hidden in the back of the room. She swiftly cast her flashlight over the rear of the chamber and for the first time noticed the dark stairs that led down into a murky passage. Seras developed a nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Uh, Cortez, that doesn't look very safe. Are you sure about this?"

"About as sure as I am of weird black creatures trying to claw my face off or ugly flying heads shooting balls of fire at my ass. You got a different suggestion? Doesn't seem to matter from where I'm standing."

The bitterness in his voice was not directed at her, she knew, but it stung none the less. He seemed to notice her sullen silence.

"Sorry, Seras, I didn't mean nothing by that. As far as I'm concerned, you're my lady in white armour."

He grinned playfully.

"I saw what you did to that thing back there. I'll just ask this: remind me never to screw around with you ever again! Turns out the kitten's got some really sharp claws!"

His tone was grateful, but Seras did not have pleasant recollections of the event. To be honest, she was not completely sure what had come over her. Her memories of the time between Cortez's injury and finding herself covered in the beast's blood were somewhat hazy.

Deciding not to dwell on it, she urged them forward towards the descending stairs. After all, in the end one direction was as good as another.

The stairs did not go down very far. Soon they were quietly walking down a dark stone passageway, the flashlight their only source of illumination. Seras was thankful that the light still shined brightly, even after having seen much use that day.

The walls of the passage were covered with scratches similar to the symbols on the stone tablets at the entrance. Seras wondered at their meaning. Who would build such a huge place deep underground in the middle of nowhere, with strange riddles and puzzles denying entry to anyone without the code phrase? Why would a door require blood to open? Everything they had encountered thus far was either hostile or dead. Was there nothing beautiful that existed here? True, her experience with UB427 was still very limited, but surely it could not be the same all over? After all, what exactly was the point of visiting it if all they could find was death and decay?

Shaking the depressing thoughts from her mind, she noticed that they were close to the end of the corridor. It looked like they had reached a dead-end. She groaned in dismay.

"Oh, this is just great!" Cortez was not taking it any better. "I so love these surprises."

Rolling her eyes at his sarcastic remark, Seras was about to call a halt when something unexpected occurred. As if by magic, the bricks in the wall at the end of the corridor started to roll away to the sides, opening a large enough space for them to walk through. They glanced nervously at each other.

"Well, Seras, I would normally say ladies first, but I guess we'll have to brave this one together."

Cortez was trying to make light of the situation, but he could not hide the dread in his voice.

"Let's keep moving," Seras replied.

They continued down the tunnel, unsurprised as the brickwork closed up behind them. The passage continued on for only a short while before they suddenly found them in a new room. Seras did not need the light of her torch to see that it was huge. The ceiling and walls were completely covered in large glowing white runes. While not painfully bright, they did illuminate the entire chamber in a gentle soothing radiance.

"It's beautiful," Seras whispered, awed by the atmosphere of the place. She turned off the flashlight, hoping to conserve it for as long as possible.

Cortez muttered something, but she could tell his stance had relaxed a great deal. They took a moment to bask in the ambience.

A colossal pillar stood in the centre of the chamber. Their passageway was connected to it by means of a lengthy stone bridge. Taking a peek over the side, Seras could see the floor some distance away, faintly illuminated by runes closer to the ground. Coiled around the pillar was a staircase. It spiralled towards the ground, but Seras could not make out where it ended. Obviously, it would be their route from the place.

They comfortably crossed the wide stone bridge and started down the spiralling stairs without hesitation.

The soft hum of the runes was much clearer now that they were further down. Seras took the opportunity to study them more carefully as she and Cortez descended. She noticed that a few of the runes where dull and lifeless, their light long expired. A number of the other runes also glowed less bright, showing that they too were nearing the end of their usefulness. She struggled to imagine what these runes were for, heck, what the entire structure was for, but drew a blank. Not that she was surprised; lately nothing was making much sense.

She supposed that the runes, the scrawling on the passage walls, and the stone tablets outside must all have share some kind of common purpose. If only she could understand what it was, maybe she would be able to find a safe escape route from the underground structure. Seras had all but given up on returning to the labs. She was not going to allow herself to die in this place, no matter what it took.

They finally reached the end of the stairs and stepped onto the dusty floor. Scanning their surroundings, they noticed only one possible exist from the room, and made their way slowly towards it.

A large black door was set into the chamber wall. Intricate carvings and ornaments adorned its surface, and Seras could see a number of precious gems scattered about its four corners. It probably was worth fortune. A golden bell-shaped knocker rested at eye level in the centre of the door.

"Now what?" Cortez muttered. As she previously instructed, he had been holding his right arm pressed against his side to avoid further upsetting it, but Seras noticed that his wounds had begun bleeding again. They would require fresh treatment very soon.

Leaving him standing on his own for a moment, Seras stepped up to the door. Disturbing depictions of broken skulls and twisted faces seemed to be the main theme of the decorations, and Seras wondered at the sanity of the artist who created it.

Having no other ideas, she reached up and firmly grasped the knocker. Ignoring the apprehensive feeling in her gut, she gave three loud knocks in rapid succession before releasing the knocker and stepping back.

The sound of her knocks echoed through the room, making her blanch at the thought that something might have heard them. Cortez was cautiously keeping an eye on the stairs and air to make sure they were not again caught by surprise.

As she was about to reach for the knocker again, the door suddenly shuddered, and then rose quickly upwards into the stonework. It seemed that her request for entry had been answered, but by what she could not be sure. Grabbing Cortez around the shoulders again, they stepped through the doorway into a new passageway, which was flanked on either side with more glowing runes. Scarcely did they set foot in it before the door dropped back down behind them. Seras could not see any way to open it from this side.

"That's becoming a nasty habit, and one that I'm not very fond of." Cortez voiced her opinion quite accurately.

Just as she was about to turn away from the door something peculiar caught her attention.

"What's that?" she asked, not really expecting an answer.

The back of the door was lined with deep gashed, as if something had desperately tried to claw its way out. Taking a closer look, she noticed red flakes scattered about the cuts. Doubtlessly, something had torn its hands raw trying to get out. Seras could not guess at the age of the blood, but its presence meant that the owner had been unable to escape. It did not bode well for her and Cortez's chances.

Cortez had been keeping an eye out on the corridor. Seras decided to keep her thoughts to herself; it was not necessary to increase his worry as well. They continued down the passage. The runes were once again providing more than enough light. Seras noticed that the passage did not stretch very far. They would soon see what challenge awaited them next.

The passageway led them into a large circular chamber. It was very well lit. Actually, Seras thought that the number of glowing runes scattered on the walls and floor of the room probably numbered much more than all those they had encountered before.

They were standing on a small ledge. The floor of the chamber was situated a bit lower, but was easily accessible by way of a few steps carved into the side of the ledge. They noticed a similar ledge on the opposite side of the room, including a passage that led onward. A number of black stone statues were situated at regular intervals about the room. They were of varying shapes and sizes, much like to ones on the stairs outside had been.

But it was object in the centre of the room that drew her attention the most. Located inside a depression in the middle of the floor was a large pitch-black coffin. Try as she might, Seras could not discern any of its seams. It was difficult to be sure of where it stared and where it ended, almost as if it was absorbing the light instead of reflecting it. A number of words were written on what she assumed to be its lid.

Seras suddenly felt horrified at the thought of continuing forward. There was something dark inside the room, something that was waiting for them to step closer before swallowing them whole. She could describe what she felt only as evil, full of rage and desire. Whatever was emitting these dark emotions did not try to hide them; instead it seemed the revel in its lust for bloodshed.

Never before had Seras been as terrified as she was at that moment. Her legs felt heavy, and she fell to her hands and knees, as if she had suddenly acquired a heavy burden on her shoulders. Beside her, Cortez assumed a similar position.

Suddenly, an agonizing pain ripped through her body, causing her to scream at the top of her lungs in anguish. Unbidden tears spilled from her eyes as the pain continued mercilessly. She felt her mind being invaded by something so alien and cold that it seemed to destroy every warm memory she possessed. Seras knew then that she was going to die a slow and excruciating death. Her death would be alone and pointless, her existence forgotten, her soul forever doomed to haunt the depths of this hell.

Without warning the pain suddenly stopped, and Seras was left lying facedown on the cold stone floor, her body shivering and her energy gone. A voice spoke in her mind.

It was a beautiful voice, full of love and passion, telling her of the must precious and delightful of things. The voice promised that all of it could be hers, if only she would reach out and take it. Surrender, the voice playfully cried as it darted about her mind, gently smiling and giggling like a tiny innocent child.

Surrender, and everything will be all right. The voice did not falter for a moment, but continued to assault her with images of happiness and security.

You don't need to be alone anymore. Surrender, and your pain, your loneliness, your insecurities, they will all vanish. You will be free as a bird, able to fly where you wish, able to obtain whatever you wish. Immense beauty will be yours, granting you the desire of every man and the envy of every woman who walk the earth.

Surrender, and you won't have to face the awful darkness again.

Surrender, or you will die.

But she would not surrender. She could not. Rage filled her, rage at being abused, misled and tossed about like some rag doll. Something inside her snapped. She clenched her fists tightly, remembering all the pain and suffering she had endured, that her friends had endured. Giving up was not an option. It clashed against the very nature of her being in a manner that made her furious. She would never surrender to it. Never.

Fury boiled out from the deepest part of he being, instantly dispelling the shadows flitting about her mind. Rising unsteadily to her knees, she reared her head back and screamed, "I will never give up! I will never!"

Her body shivered uncontrollably, not from fear or cold, but from her intense anger. No longer would she cower in terror, whimper like to weak little girl. She would stare death straight in the eyes, if indeed it did come for her.

"Do your worst!"

She lowered her head, waiting for the end to come.

Unexpectedly, the assault on her mind ceased. Deep, mad laughter resounded through the chamber, sending a chill down her spine despite her furious state.

As the laugher finally receded, Seras felt light headed and slightly nauseous, but the feeling quickly passed. She rose to her feet, her legs still shaking slightly. The dark atmosphere that had pressed down on her was gone, but she knew that it did not go far away. Glancing suspiciously at the coffin in the centre of the room, Seras wondered if it had left at all.

A sudden groan reminded her for Cortez's presence. Spinning around, she saw with dismay that he laid prone on the floor in the centre of the room. One of his outstretched arms was almost touching the black coffin.

"Cortez!" she cried, quickly making for the short stairway that led to the floor.

She sighed in relief as she saw him slowly start to rise to his feet. While the chamber was not as huge as the one with the spiral staircase, it was certain still somewhat sizeable, and Seras wondered how he had travelled from the entrance passage to his present position. She was certain that he had collapsed on the floor beside her when the attack on her mind began. From the look of him now, he did not seem to be in any condition to travel such a distance so quickly on his own.

"Yet another damn mystery," Seras muttered to herself as she made her way across the floor. While she was grateful to still be in one piece, the constant frustration and senseless mayhem was starting to wear at her patience. She doubted her ability to deal with it much longer without going insane or doing something irrational. The though created a lump in her throat. This world was the last place where she would want to lose her mind.

Cortez managed to rise to his feet and was slowly massaging his temples. He looked like shit, but Seras guessed she was not any better off. She imagined they must both stink terribly, and she looked forward to a long relaxing shower once they got back.

She covered almost two thirds of the floor when suddenly she was viciously pushed to the ground by some invisible force. Catching a glance behind her before falling flat on her face, she witnessed a large spiky tail pierce the air where her head used to be. Shocked, but deciding not to waste the moment, she swiftly rolled to one side, hoping to allow herself some time to get back on her feet.

A large black claw struck the floor where her head had been a second before. The sound of gunfire howled through the room as Cortez also joined the fight. Seras hoped that he would keep her attacker distracted for a second or two.

She gripped her assault rifle tightly as she came to a stop. In one fluid motion she jumped to her feet and brought her aim to bear on the advancing fiend. With scarcely a glance at it she pulled the trigger. A hail of bullets erupted from the gun. Her aim was true, and within seconds the beast's small humanoid head was reduced to nothing but a bloody smear. It fell harmless to the floor.

Adrenaline still surging through Seras' body, she spotted one more of the monsters running towards her. Another burst of fire halted it in its tracks, and Seras turned to aid Cortez with his fight.

Her help as unnecessary though. She was just in time to see him dispose of another one of the creatures. He wiped his brow with his sleeve and gave her a thumbs-up, grimacing as his wounds protested.

Seras' heart suddenly skipped a beat. As if in slow motion, a large black shape crashed into Cortez from behind. He managed to stay on his feet, his arms flailing about wildly in an attempt to grab the thing clinging onto his back. But his expression abruptly turned into one of shock and horror, an ear-splitting scream escaping form his open mouth. His arms fell limply to his sides.

"No!" Seras screamed as she sprinted towards the two shapes, taking aim with her weapon as she ran. But it was no use; there was no chance of hitting the fiend without also hitting Cortez. In the back of her mind Seras realized that he was probably already dead, but she was not willing to lose hope just yet.

The monster's black claw protruded from the front of Cortez's torso, coated thickly in his blood. Razor sharp nails glinted evilly in the glow of the runes, and a cruel snigger emerged from the fiend's hideous throat.

Seras watched in dismay as a torrent of blood flooded from the gaping wound. It spilt on the floor, accumulating quickly, as if a tap had been opened that could not be closed. The thick red liquid trickled down into the depression surrounding the coffin, and soon it seemed as if it was floating in a dark red pool.

The creature paid little attention to these happenings. Swinging its head about the chamber, it howled something unintelligible before withdrawing its limb from Cortez's body and throwing him roughly to the ground.

Pushing her grief to one side, Seras cleared her mind of all though except the anger running through her body. Taking careful aim, she fired a burst at the creature, desiring above all else to destroy it.

As if sensing her attack, the beast tried to evade to one side. It shrieked horribly as the bullets penetrated its left flank, falling mortally wounded to the floor. It was still alive, however, but Seras intended to rectify that problem as soon as possible.

Two large zeros flickered on her gun's display, and Seras realized that for the last few seconds she had been trying to shoot the fiend with an empty magazine. Not taking her eyes off it for a moment, she smoothly ejected the expended clip and moved to replace it with a new one from her belt.

The creature crawled slowly over the floor in an attempt to escape her wrath. Suddenly, it raised its head in one last loud howl before falling depleted to the floor. It did not move again.

Satisfied that the thing was finally dead, Seras lowered her rifle and made her way to Cortez's body. It laid silent and unmoving, blood still pouring from his chest and over the floor. His face was still contorted into his final death scream, his eyes staring forward, unseeing and accusingly.

Seras did not cry this time. Her tears were gone, replaced only by a deep sadness at the death of yet another treasured companion. Crouching by his body, she closed his eyes gently with her fingertips, brushing the stray hairs out of his face.

After surviving everything this place had thrown at them, never giving up and never backing down, he still died. It was not fair. None of them asked for this. Seras knew that she would carry the guilt of failing him with her for the rest of her life and beyond. She would never be able to forgive herself. He had trusted and relied on her, and died for it.

But her strength was still with her. She remained determined to get out. If nothing else, she was used to being alone and independent. Maybe that suited her better, maybe not. For the moment, however, she would rest by his side for a while longer. And who knows, maybe when she opened her eyes it would all have been a terrible dream, and they would be sitting happily back at the base. Jack would be there, of course, teasing her like usual, the rest laughing at his antics and drinking beers around the poker table.

The Captain would of course reprimand him, forcing him to apologise, and Mainz would bring them some drinks, as always making sure there were not hard feelings between them.

Lost in her daydream, Seras did not notice the multitude of quiet twittering surrounding her until it was too late.

She was suddenly violently grabbed from the back, something large and leathery tightening painfully around her torso. A hard blow to her abdomen forced the air from her lungs, causing her to gasp for air. The air around her was suddenly filled with devilish laughter.

Rapidly blinking her eyelids to bring them back into focus, she was not prepared for the sight that awaited her. The remaining statues had finally come to life and were now prowling about the chamber. Only, she realized, they were not really statues, but rather beings made of flesh and blood. Due to her grief she had neglected to inspect them and now she was paying for her weakness.

The beasts were hideous to behold, but she refused to shy away from them. They would kill her, like they had killed Cortez and who knows what else, but she would not give them the satisfaction of being afraid. Her death would be alone and painful, but it would be on her terms. She stared defiantly at them as they began to close in.

Without warning, a massive earthquake suddenly rocked the chamber. The demons looked about in confusion, unsure of what was happening. Small pebbles began falling from the ceiling, and large cracks were beginning to criss-cross the floor.

An immense gale roared through the chamber, tearing and howling at its occupants, as if trying to tear them asunder. Seras was forced to shut her eyes in an effort to keep out the wind and dust. Unfortunately, her captor refused to release her, although its hold became less constricting.

One of the monsters howled, drawing Seras' attention. Peering from between closed eyelids, she saw it pointing to the centre of the chamber while slowly backing away, its revolting featured contorted in panic.

Twisting her head around, she watched in astonishment as the black coffin rose up through the air until it hovered high in the centre of the chamber. The blood in the now empty floor depression began to swirl around in a circular fashion, faster and faster until Seras was no longer sure it was moving at all.

Slowly, as if flowing along an invisible path, a thick bloody tendril rose out of the pool, unhindered by the force of the raging gale.

The tendril formed an upwards spiral with the black coffin at its centre, slowly soaring through the air and towards the base of the floating object. The base of the tendril was still connected to the red pool below, but for some reason the basin did not empty.

With a roar, one of the larger demons attempted to storm the floating coffin, only to be brutally repelled by some invisible force. The beast hit one of the chamber walls head-on; its twisted and broken neck indicating that it would rise no more.

The glowing runes on the ceiling and walls started to dissolve one by one, slowly at first, but rapidly picking up speed, until not a single active rune remained.

The chamber did not remain dark for long. The top of the black coffin suddenly opened to emit a blood red light that bathed the entire room. However, instead of chasing away the shadows it served only to create even more of them. The gale and earthquake did not recede; on the contrary, they seemed to grow even more ferocious. Large parts of the ceiling began to crumble and break off. The runes, now devoid of light, started to rupture and break free, mercilessly falling on top of the surprised crowd below.

Despite all the mayhem, Seras remained relatively calm. Thus she was the first to witness the shadows moving unnaturally over the darkened walls and floors, dancing madly to some unheard tune.

The demons also began to notice, some of them darting back and forth in an attempt to avoid the touch of the fast moving shades. Seras unexpectedly found herself soaring through the air, her captor having decided that there were more pressing problems to deal with. Clenching her teeth in anticipation of the imminent impact, she was startled when soft arms suddenly caught her and gently deposited her on the floor close to the hovering coffin. She twirled her head about, swiftly scanning for her unknown helper, but there was nobody to be seen.

As if reacting to an unspoken signal, all the shadows in the room suddenly darted into the centre, close to where she was crouching. As more and more shadows joined together, a dark shape began to emerge, rising up out of the floor. The demons also noticed the apparition and started to back into the corners of the room, the larger ones mindlessly beating the smaller fiends out of the way. Some of the demons tried to escape by running through the passageways leaving the room, however, invisible barriers that covered the exits obstructed them.

The room was alive with power and malicious intent, all of it centred on the being at its core. Soon no more shadows remained. In its place, Seras saw the form of a tall man. But it was a man like none she had ever seen before, not even in her wildest nightmares.

His face was thin and pale, his lips slightly parted and twisted in a malignant grin. Long canines extended impossibly past his lower lip, giving him the look of a ravenous bloodthirsty animal. Long black hair waved madly about his head as if mocking the force of the gale. It almost seemed as if the thin strands moved with a life of their own.

He was attired in a long-sleeved shirt with matching dark leather pants. His clothes wrapped around his lean body like a glove, tight in all the right places, hinting at the muscular form underneath. Squinting through the murk, Seras realized with a start that he was wearing no ordinary garment. Covered in hooks and long thin leather straps, some of which were torn apart or ripped off, it was obviously a straitjacket. Embedded clasps and buckles glinted menacingly from where they rested underneath the shirt's sleeves. The thought of being tied up in such a device sent a shudder through her body.

Incredibly long, thin arms hung casually at his sides. His large pale hands looked very smooth and elegant, the fingers gracefully extended toward the floor. His bearing was arrogant and brazen, his head boldly raised to coldly stare down the occupants of the room. He wielded mastery and majesty as if they were weapons, radiating the indisputable air of an aristocrat.

But it was his eyes that drew her the most. Glowing blood red, they seemed capable of looking into the depths of her soul to see her darkest, most closely guarded secrets. Try as she might she could not tear her eyes away from them. They promised torment and suffering to all those that opposed him, and forbidden pleasure to those who would give themselves to him. She absent-mindedly licked her lips at the sudden thought of his form coupling with hers, his eyes staring at her naked quivering form while she cried out his name in ecstasy... Realising what she was thinking, she shook her head in embarrassment, her cheeks developing a healthy rosy tinge. As if aware of her thoughts, the man laughed heartily before returning his attention to his demonic spectators.

Disgusted for thinking such things, Seras sunk her head shamefully. She was probably going to die soon, she thought dismally. It did not matter if it was by the hands of the strange man or the jaws of some other monster. She would end up imprisoned in this place, doomed to wander its dusty halls for all eternity.

Spotting Cortez's corpse nearby increased her gloom even further, until it became like an icy grip clutching around her heart, choking it in a painful embrace. Seras remembered her fallen friends. The Captain, a kind and considerate man, who was always ready to offer advice, a sparkle hidden deep within his eyes. Jack, whom she had known and admired since before she even transferred to the Mars facility. Though he had been very annoying at times, he always managed to lighten her mood or make her laugh. Cortez, one of her close friends, even though she had not known him for as long as the rest.

They had all been great men, people she had looked up to and who enjoyed her company. Despite what some said about marines and their fondness for war, not a single person among them had a cruel bone in them. She was witness to that. Perhaps she felt undeserving of them, keeping herself distanced more than necessary.

She had always been alone, ever since she was young, watching out for herself because nobody else would. Maybe she was used to it, or maybe she could not find it within herself to bond with anyone, or maybe...

Too many maybes.

It didn't really matter anymore, not her drifting thoughts or anything else. Her team was long gone, consumed by the horrors of UB427. She wished that they had finally found peace, even though their deaths might have been otherwise. But a nagging voice at the back of her mind told her different. There was no escape for anyone who set foot in this place. It was hell, and if a real hell existed elsewhere, she could not imagine it being worse. Soon, she would be taking her place amongst the dead.

Unexpectedly, something touched her chin. Seras felt her head slowing being lifted up, and she opened her eyes to see what was going on. The man was kneeling before her on one leg, touching her with his right hand. An expression devoid of emotion had replaced his previously cruel smile. Contrary to what she would have guessed, his fingertips felt warm to the touch, a heat that quickly spread through her lips and cheeks.

His still-glowing eyes bore in hers. Suddenly frightened, she quickly averted her gaze and closed eyes. The man said nothing, simply holding gently on to her, not stirring.

Her confidence returning, Seras opened her eyes and slowly turned back to face him. Steeling herself, she looked into his blazing orbs, intent on finding any sign that would indicate his intentions. But she found nothing. No hatred. No love. No expression of any kind. Despite this, the warmth of his fingertips spreading over her face transformed him into a pillar of strength that she could lean on, completely forgetting her earlier misgivings.

She noticed something billowing behind him. It seemed to be a huge shadowy cloak; although she could not guess where it came from. Probably the same place he did, she idly mused. It was suspended in the air by means of some unknown force, waving about with no real pattern in mind.

Flowing out of the cloak was a number of black writhing tendrils that disappeared into the dark chamber beyond her sight. She tried to follow their squirming shapes, only to find her incapable of tearing herself away from his deep gaze. Mustering all the willpower she possessed, Seras dared to pull her head back slightly, breaking the momentary contact they shared.

Awareness of her situation suddenly rushed back into her brain, the sounds within the chamber striking her mercilessly. The gale howled like a mad banshee, almost eradicating all other sounds. The dull thuds of falling stone hitting the floor reverberated along with the rumble of the continuing earthquake. The noise was so loud that it momentarily drove the man's odd cloak from her mind.

Pressing her hands tightly over her ringing ears, she swiftly looked around the chamber in the hopes of detecting the other creatures. She was certain that they would be launching some kind of attack on her and the man any moment now. From their earlier display he was obviously not their ally. In fact, if she was any judge of the situation, they were absolutely terrified of him.

But no attack came. The light emitted by the coffin remained the room's only source of light, leaving it shadowed for the most part. It was almost impossible to discern anything specific.

However, one of the fiends was lying on the floor nearby. At first she was unsure whether it was alive or dead, but it suddenly twisted and rolled over the floor, as if struggling with an invisible attacker. For a split-second Seras caught the terrified look in its small alien eyes before it was suddenly ripped in half, its blood and entrails spilling out over the floor.

Seras gasped in shock. She held no love for the monsters, but she had recognised the look in its eyes before it died. It was the same look Cortez had in his right before his untimely death, a look that spoke of futility and hopeless despair.

A quick movement at the edge of her vision caught her attention. Glancing swiftly in its direction, she caught a glimpse of something large and snake-like disappearing into the shadows. Scarcely had she noticed it before a demon crashed violently onto the floor in front of her.

She was about to leap back to avoid it, when something made her stop dead in her tracks. A pitch-black tendril emerged leisurely from the shadows. Upon reaching the prone form of the injured fiend, it struck, quickly coiling itself around the large body.

Seras stared in awe as a multitude of huge red eyes erupted all over the tendril. The eyes were constantly shifting and blinking, as if examining their surroundings and picking out new prey.

The eyes suddenly converged on her form. A moment later, the tendril contracted, shattering the body of the beast caught in between its many layers. Withdrawing swiftly, the tendril disappeared back into the gloom, dropping the broken carcass behind it.

Disgusted at the sight, Seras backed away quickly, only to lightly collide against something at her back. Before she had a chance to turn around or duck out of reach, two long limbs wrapped around her waist, pulling her into a comfortable embrace. The man had caught her in his arms, effortlessly ignoring her attempts to escape.

A warm feeling started to spread over Seras' body, driving all thoughts of resistance form her mind. As if on their own accord, her hands dropped away from her ears, the howl of the wind again ripping against her eardrums. But, for some unexplained reason, the howling was much less ferocious than before, sounding instead like the plaintive cries of a small, injured animal.

Grinning like a Cheshire cat, Seras leaned back into the embrace, contently sighing and enjoying the pleasurable sensations running through her body. From her vantage Seras could see numerous tendrils moving in the shadows through out the chamber. Idly wondering at her new found night vision capability, but not really caring, she noted that the tendrils were continuing their slaughter of the remaining monsters in the room.

She squealed in glee as the carnage continued. Blood rained down upon the floor all over the chamber, scattered through the air by the powerful gale. It drenched the ground, the walls and the ceiling, everywhere except, it seemed, her and her beautiful saviour.

Placing her hands over his, she felt his power vibrate through her. In a moment of clarity, she suddenly understood the nature of the tendrils mercilessly wreaking havoc on the occupants of the room. He and they were one and the same. They extended from his cloak, no, from his very body, a physical construct to illustrate his superiority over the lesser creatures.

These thoughts excited her, making her glad to be close to him. In the far reaches of her mind a warning bell was ringing, but she paid it no heed, instead enjoying the rich scent of blood flowing through the air.

Above her, the man laughed madly, the sensation sending pleasant shivers up and down her spine. She knew that he was satisfied with her, delighting in her excitement, and taking pleasure from her as she was from him. The thought aroused her immensely, but she held back her desire, unsure of whether he would want her.

Suddenly, as quickly as it had begun, the massacre was over. It had lasted only a few minutes, but Seras suspected that it was a few minutes longer than necessary. He seemed to take joy from inflicting excruciating torture upon his victims before mercilessly snapping their limbs, tossing them away like garbage.

The warning bell in her mind sounded off again, desperately attempting to snap her out of her reverie. This time it caught her attention, and Seras' mind was again assaulted by the truth of her situation.

The howl of the wind returned full force, but she scarcely paid it any attention. The stench of blood and entrails permeated the air, causing Seras to gag uncontrollably, her bile quickly rising in her throat. An attack of nausea brought her hand instinctively to her mouth. She resumed her struggle against her captor's tight embrace, but only succeeded in upsetting her disposition even further.

Suddenly, the world started spinning around her. Her arms felt numb and dropped uselessly to her sides, her legs giving away beneath her weight. Black spots danced before her eyes, causing her vision to become unfocused. She felt herself being placed gently on the floor, a smooth finger tenderly running from her cheek to her collarbone.

Drowsiness overtook her, washing away all thoughts of resistance. She caught a glimpse of his dark red eyes watching her intently just before her vision faded. They burned mysteriously, easily dispelling the surrounding darkness, and for a moment she imagined seeing an unknown emotion in them.

"And now, Seras Victoria," a deep manly voice echoed through her mind before darkness at long last claimed her, "you are finally mine."


End file.
